The House of Representatives has consolidated four separate committees investigating Philippine Overseas Gaming Operators (POGOs), Chinese crime syndicates, the narcotics trade, and extrajudicial killings during the previous administration into a singular panel called the “Quad Comm.”
Lawmakers apparently made this decision after realizing there was a common thread tying all those issues together – the Duterte administration.
The four committees’ chairmen – Rep. Robert Ace Barbers of the Committee on Dangerous Drugs, Rep. Bienvenido Abante of the Committee on Human Rights, Rep. Dan Fernandez of the Committee on Public Order and Safety, and Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano of the House Committee on Public Accounts, faced journalists for the first time on Wednesday as members of the consolidated panel.
During the press briefing, the Quad Comm members announced that they intend to invite former President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Ronald dela Rosa, among others, to shed light on details of their drug war, the proliferation of POGOs, and other possibly interconnected matters.
“It is historic in the sense that this is the first time it’s going to happen because there are urgent national issues that the House of Representatives is presently and currently addressing in the four committees that we are conducting hearings on,” Barbers said in a mix of English and Filipino.
“We will invite the former President to enlighten us on the issue of the War on Drugs. Maybe he can shed some information that would be of help in the writing of the committee report, especially on the remedial legislation that we plan to be its product,” he added.
For his part, Abante said there are many questions by committee members that only Duterte can answer.
As this developed, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) another plunder charge against former President Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Bong Go, former Navy chief Admiral Robert Empedrad, and others.
The complaint stemmed from the P16-billion frigate acquisition project which was allegedly maneuvered by Duterte to favor a private contractor.
“The Philippine Navy gave specifications of what they needed, and it was put through the bidding process, but when the bidding was won, the contractor suddenly changed what was written in what was discussed,” he told reporters in Filipino after filing.
He said Duterte dismissed Navy chief Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado in 2017 when he pushed for the specific brand of combat management systems (CMS) for the frigates as chosen by the technical working group.
Also named as respondents in the complaint were former budget undersecretary Christopher Lao, former finance undersecretary Raymundo Elefante, former defense acquisition chief Leodegario Dela Paz, together with other private individuals.
Trillanes added it was Duterte himself who admitted during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) that he interfered with the said contract together with then-Special Assistant to the President Go.
He alleged that Lao acted as ‘bagman’ for Go while the latter acted as a ‘bagman’ for Duterte.
Further, he alleged it was Lao who forced the proposal of the private contractor to change the specifications of the equipment that will be given to the Navy.
Trillanes, who used to be a procurement officer of the Naval Training and Education Command of the PN, said “what should be followed is what they need on the ground… that will be good for our soldiers and not the wishes of contractors and corrupt officials in the DND or Malacañang.”
He noted they have complete documentary and testimonial evidence to support the case.
He also hinted more cases are expected to be filed against Duterte now that cases cannot be “whitewashed” by the latter.
The latest plunder complaint follows the July 5 filing of Trillanes against Duterte for allegedly using his position to award P6.6-B public works contracts to “unqualified” companies owned by Go’s relatives.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline ‘Historic’ House four-committee probe to invite Duterte, Bato
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