Quad leaders to Dela Rosa: Explain ‘allowances’ from Go
Senate President Francis Escudero said any investigation on the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs should not be led by either Senator Ronald dela Rosa or Christopher Go as they were implicated in the alleged reward system that incentivized extrajudicial killings of drug suspects.
Escudero said he will consult his colleagues on the possibility of forming a committee instead to investigate the controversial war on drugs following a suggestion by Senator Risa Hontiveros to convene the Senate Committee of the Whole.
“We’ll face that in the coming days,” Escudero said, adding he has already spoken with Dela Rosa, who was chief of the Philippine National Police during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“I told him that any investigation concerning him and Senator Bong Go should not be led by them,” Escudero said.
“That way, no allegations of bias, partiality, or unfairness can be raised,” he added.
Escudero said while the Committee of the Whole is an option, he is also considering assigning the investigation to another committee—one outside of Dela Rosa’s jurisdiction.
Hontiveros said the Committee of the Whole, chaired by Escudero, will provide a more encouraging environment for families of victims or survivors to come forward and testify.
Quad Committee leaders on Thursday expressed support for the Senate Committee of the Whole to conduct the investigation into the drug war during Duterte’s term.
They also called on Dela Rosa to clarify his recent statement confirming police officers received “allowances” allegedly coursed through the office of Go, then Special Assistant to the President.
Quad Comm lead chair Rep. Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Sur and co-chair Rep. Dan Fernandez of Sta. Rosa City said the nature of the cash payments, which Dela Rosa referred to as “allowances,” should be fully explained, including why they were given and to whom.
“We support this call by Senator Hontiveros to continue the Senate Committee of the Whole investigation on the EJKs of the previous administration’s drug war. We are very pleased that both houses of Congress are of one mind in this,” Barbers said.
Fernandez echoed Barbers’ sentiments, saying Dela Rosa, as chief architect and enforcer of the drug war, should be transparent about the cash payments.
“Senator Dela Rosa cannot lead this Senate investigation because there is an obvious conflict of interest. He himself carried out the orders under the bloody anti-drug campaign. He was at the helm of this war, so he cannot objectively lead the probe,” Fernandez said.
“Senator Bato must have delicadeza. As the architect of the war on drugs, Senator Bato would be practically investigating himself. This undermines the integrity and objectivity of any findings that may result from this investigation,” he added.
Escudero said Dela Rosa was agreeable to his position that a separate committee would investigate the drug war-related killings.
“But of course, he has the right to participate in the discussions,” the Senate president said.
Dela Rosa, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, earlier said he wants to conduct a separate probe into the drug war during the time of Duterte.
Go said he is also willing to investigate the allegations of cash incentives for cops.
Retired police colonel and former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma last week testified before the House Quad Committee that Duterte ordered the implementation “on a national scale” of the so-called “Davao template” that rewarded cops for every drug suspect killed.
Garma revealed three modes of payment or rewards: first, for every suspect killed; second for the planned operations; and third, for the refund of operational expenses.
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