MANILA, Philippines – The decision of former president Rodrigo Duterte to skip the House of Representatives quad committee inquiry into drug war killings under his administration triggered a wave of criticisms from lawmakers expecting his appearance on Tuesday, October 22.
“By refusing to participate, the former president is hindering the people’s right to know and denying them the opportunity to seek justice for the crimes caused by the war on drugs during his term,” House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas said.
“The father and daughter Dutertes are just copying each other. They have so much to say when not under oath or when it’s out of context, but when they’re summoned to a formal hearing, they both act evasively and come up with all sorts of reasons not to attend or properly answer our questions. Therefore, I move that if former president Duterte does not attend the next hearing, he should be cited for contempt,” House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro added.
The quad committee invited Duterte to take part in the hearing in a letter dated October 18, but on Monday, October 21, his lawyer said the former president would be unable to attend Tuesday’s inquiry due his health condition.
“Aside from the short notice given him, my client just arrived in Davao from Metro Manila last October 17, 2024. 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 requests to defer his appearance before the honorable committee scheduled tomorrow,” said the letter signed by Duterte’s counsel Martin Delgra III.
However, Duterte, according to his lawyer, is committed to take part in proceedings that will take place “after November 1, 2024.”
House public accounts committee chairperson Caraps Paduano questioned the lack of a document from the former president authorizing Delgra to represent him, and the lack of a medical certificate attached to the excuse letter.
“The former president is already old and has been, based on media reports, sick lately, and had his medical checkup, I believe. In deference to the former president, I think we should afford him the courtesy that is due to him by not requiring him to submit to this committee a medical certificate,” House dangerous drugs committee chairperson Ace Barbers replied.
“[As per the letter of authority], I believe it was just perhaps an oversight,” he added. “I agree that we should ask the counsel to be present in our committee hearing to enter his appearance as counsel for the former president.”
House human rights committee chairperson Bienvenido Abante asked Barbers whether the committee was giving the former president preferential treatment.
“I beg to disagree that we are giving special treatment. What I am saying is that we extend the courtesy due to a former president. It doesn’t mean we will no longer invite him,” Barbers said.
During the eighth day of hearing of the quad committee on October 11, retired police colonel Royina Garma directly implicated Duterte to the drug war killings, saying that after Duterte won the 2016 presidential election, the then-president recruited people “capable of implementing the war on drugs on a national scale, replicating the Davao model.”
The Davao model refers to a system of payment which rewarded drug war actors for successful killings, funded planned operations, and refunded operational expenses.
Duterte has denied the existence of such a reward system.
He has also been linked to the murders of three high-profile Chinese drug lords inside a Davao prison in August 2016.
Government records show over 6,000 drug war suspects have been killed in police operations from 2016 to 2021, but human rights groups believe the death toll is between 27,000 and 30,000. – Rappler.com