- House quad comm asks former President Duterte to shed light on alleged EJK involvement
THE HOUSE quad committee formally invited former President Rodrigo Duterte to an Oct. 22 public hearing on the alleged extrajudicial killings as a result of the war on drugs under his administration.
A post on the Sara Duterte for President Movement page includes a letter dated Oct. 18 from the House of Representatives of the Philippines.
The letter, issued by the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts, is addressed to Brig. Gen. Nicolas D. Torre III, director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police.
The letter requests Director Torre’s assistance to ensure the invitation will reach Duterte or his representative. The agenda for the public hearing was also attached to the letter, signed by Arturo Felix H. Catarata, acting secretary for the committee on dangerous drugs, the lead committee of the quad comm.
TIMES texted Torre on Sunday to ask if he already delivered the letter to Duterte but has yet to receive a reply.
Earlier, the House joint committee stated that Duterte, along with Senators Bong Go and Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, would be invited to the next hearings on extrajudicial killings related to the drug war.
Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (Surigao del Norte, 2nd District), who chairs the House quad committee, confirmed on Tuesday, October 15, that they have sent invitations to Duterte, Go, and Dela Rosa.
In an interview with NewsWatch Plus, Barbers said they would be “honored by his presence” if he decides to attend.
For his part, Duterte expressed willingness to attend the quad comm to face allegations that he masterminded the extrajudicial killings during his administration’s “war on drugs.”
“If they invite me, I just hope they ask educated questions,” he added.
Murder case?
On Thursday, Oct. 17, Torre announced that charges could be filed against anyone, including former President Duterte, over extrajudicial killings (EJKs).
“We will see what direction our investigation will take regarding the cold cases,” he said. “If we find any links to anyone, including the former president, then so be it. We will include them in the charges if the evidence warrants.”
When asked what charges might be filed against those responsible, Torre said, “Well, extrajudicial killings would be considered murder, no?”
Authorities have stated that approximately 6,000 drug suspects died during operations, while human rights groups claim the number could be as high as 30,000 due to unreported killings.
Photo by Rhoda Grace Saron
