THE House quad committee is set to investigate further the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) of the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte, with the aim of finishing all discussions on the topic on Friday.
In an interview with reporters on Wednesday, quadcomm lead chairman and Dangerous Drugs Committee chief Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said they wanted to wrap up discussions on EJK when the panel resumes its hearing.
“Hopefully, we finish this so we can move on to other topics. Actually, we are basing it on the evidence that we have gathered, such as documentary evidence or new witnesses who are going to testify,” Barbers said.
Chairman and Dangerous Drugs Committee chief Rep. Robert Ace Barbers
He said that more witnesses were willing to speak up and possible documentary evidence to be brought forward to the committee regarding cases of EJK in the country.
Barbers was elated by the statement of Duterte that he was willing to speak before the committee to shed light on his actions during the past administration.
“There are many times when he can be invited, but our standing invitation to former president Duterte remains there,” Barbers said.
For Friday’s hearing, Barbers said they invited former officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, other members of Philippine Military Academy Batch ’83, batchmates of former PCSO board secretary and former police general Wesley Barayuga, who was killed in 2022.
Barbers also said that Speaker Martin Romualdez did not give them a strict timeline for the investigation, only ordering them to have a “thorough and comprehensive investigation” that would create remedial legislation.
“If we can finish this before the [sine die] adjournment of Congress, it would be better, but like we said, we cannot sacrifice the investigation over the time limit,” Barbers said.
In a separate media briefing, quadcomm co-chairman and House Human Rights panel head Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. said that he expects the Department of Justice, through the National Bureau of Investigation, to begin its investigation of the killing of Barayuga.
“Our quadcomm hearing is not just only in aid of legislation but also in aid of prosecution as we need to prosecute those who are guilty,” Abante said.
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