House probe on Duterte drug war resumes Thursday

MANILA, Philippines — After former president Rodrigo Duterte’s testimony at the Senate last week, the House of Representatives will resume its probe on the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJK) during his six-year administration, hoping he will appear.

House quad committee panel presiding officer and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said they are still uncertain about the former leader’s personal appearance, but they have sent another invitation, especially since he had already showed up at the EJK inquiry of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee.

Duterte’s legal counsel Martin Delgra III, who served as the former leader’s Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chief, promised the quad committee earlier that his client would attend the hearings after All Saints’ Day.

“Rest assured of my client’s willingness to appear before the House on some other available date, preferably after Nov. 1,” Delgra promised after he declined to attend the Oct. 22 hearing, citing health reasons and short notice.

“Considering his advanced age and the several engagements he had to attend, he is currently not feeling well and is in need of much rest. Hence, my client respectfully request to defer his appearance before the honorable committee,” he stated in a two-page letter.

Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante, quad comm co-chairman who also heads the House committee on human rights, has observed that Duterte did not seem to be of frail health when he attended the Senate probe, and was, in fact, or in effect calling the shots during his testimony.

House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City 2nd District Manuel Jose Dalipe said the House would continue to exercise its oversight power through its various committees, including the quad comm, the panel of good government and public accountability, and the quinta comm created before the recess in September.

“We remain steadfast in protecting our people from abuses and in exposing acts of wrongdoing in the government,” Dalipe added.

He also disclosed that the quad comm is set to hold this month additional hearings on the bloody war on drugs of the Duterte administration and EJKs tied to it, illegal