September 12, 2024 | 10:46am
MANILA, Philippines — The members of the House of Representatives is continuing its joint inquiry into the connection of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) and the illegal drug trade on Thursday, September 12.
The mega-panel, dubbed by lawmakers as the Quad Committee or “quadcom,” is led by Committee on Dangerous Drugs chair Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (Surigao del Norte, 2nd District) with fellow members Committee on Public Accounts chair Joseph Stephen “Caraps” Paduano, Committee on Public Order and Safety chair Dan Fernandez, and Committee on Human Rights chair Bienvenido Abante.
They are also joined by Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker David “Jay-jay” Suarez and Committee on Transportation chair Romeo Acop.
The fifth hearing, comes after the quadcom was able to make Whirlwind Corp. incorporator Cassandra Li Ong admit her role in the POGO operations in Porac, Pampanga.
Last week, the hearing was cut short after Ong’s blood pressure dropped. She later excused from participating in the mega-panel’s inquiry and was brought to a hospital in Taguig City following the recommendation from physician Luis Jose Bautista, Director of the House Medical and Dental Service.
Aside from Ong’s health concern, another highlight of the hearing was the quadcom’s granting of the request of Police Superintendent Gerardo Padilla to convene in an executive session so he could further give light on the killings of the three Chinese drug lords inside the Davao Prison and Pension Farm in August 2016.
Padilla in the previous hearings recanted his statement and later on admitted that prior to said killings, he was subjected to an intense pressure by then Criminal Investigation and Detection Group officer Royina Garma.
Two detainees, Fernando Magdadaro and Leopoldo Untalan Tan Jr., in the third quadcom hearing testified and claimed that former president Rodrigo Duterte allegedly ordered the killings of three Chinese drug lords.
Duterte was earlier invited by the House mega-panel to join the public hearing.
Watch the continuation of the quadcom hearing LIVE which started at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024.
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