(UPDATES) SEN. Risa Hontiveros on Thursday proposed convening the Senate Committee of the Whole to investigate the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs to ensure an impartial inquiry.
The proposal came after skepticism greeted an offer by Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa — who led the war on drugs as the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) during the Duterte administration — to lead the investigation himself as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs.
“It is very important for us to know the truth regarding the bloody war on drugs, especially for the families of the victims of EJK (extrajudicial killings),” Hontiveros said in Filipino.
“So, I will propose to the Senate leadership to have a Senate Committee of the Whole wherein the entire Senate will investigate the past administration’s war on drugs,” she said in a television interview.
Hontiveros said victim-survivors of Duterte’s war on drugs would be more willing to testify if the inquiry was led by the Senate Committee of the Whole, which is headed by the Senate president.
Leaders of the House of Representatives Quad Committee (quadcomm), where hearings on the drug war have already begun, welcomed Hontiveros’ call.
In a statement, quadcomm lead chairman and Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said the probe of the Senate would be crucial for uncovering the truth about the drug war operations.
Former senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Leila de Lima, meanwhile, criticized Dela Rosa’s call for a Senate inquiry into extrajudicial killings in the war on drugs.
In a post on the X social media platform, Trillanes said Dela Rosa and even Sen. Bong Go do not have moral authority to investigate an issue in which they are involved.
He said the reputation and integrity of the Senate is at stake with these inquiries.
“The Senate leadership should intervene to stop this or to refer any other EJK-related investigation to another Senate committee so there would be no conflict of interest,” he said.
On Wednesday, de Lima said Dela Rosa was trying to judge himself in his own trial.
“Sen. Bato is very funny in his plan to call for a Senate investigation into Duterte’s drug war. He is like an accused who is also a judge in his own trial,” she wrote on X.
Senate President Francis Escudero said convening the Committee of the Whole, as suggested by Hontiveros, was one option, but said he was considering other committees to handle the hearings as well.
Escudero also said he had already talked to Dela Rosa, telling the former PNP chief it would be better if he did not lead the hearings to avoid allegations that they were not fair or impartial.
“The Committee of the Whole is one option, but I am also considering other committees that could handle this issue instead of Senator Bato’s (Dela Rosa)’s committee. Naturally, he has the right to be involved in discussions regarding this matter,” he added.
Escudero, who was in Sorsogon Thursday, said he had exchanged texts with Dela Rosa, who agreed with him.
“It’s okay with him. We exchanged texts last night, but I will make it formal tomorrow. After I am done here in Sorsogon, I’ll see him this weekend when I return to Manila,” he added.
He said he would also consult the other senators on the matter.
On October 16, Dela Rosa said that former president Rodrigo Duterte would attend a Senate probe on the war on drugs if he invited him.
Dela Rosa said the former president was more comfortable in the Senate than the House of Representatives, where hearings are already in progress.
Dela Rosa said he was not concerned about the House quadcomm investigation because his conscience is clear, and there is no strong evidence against him.
“I have no fear. I am not directly involved except in my official capacity as the Chief PNP (CPNP). However, I can’t monitor all my police 24/7 and what they do. Perhaps I have command responsibility as a CPNP. But if you say I have a direct hand in what is being done or what happened, I don’t think they will link me,” he said.
Dela Rosa denied testimony at the House that said they had a reward system when he was PNP chief that gave money to police officers who killed drug suspects.
Sen. Imee Marcos, however, said such an inquiry might be seen as self-serving.
She proposed instead for the Department of Justice (DoJ) to file necessary charges against the personalities linked to the alleged summary killings of drug suspects to provide “swift justice” to the victims.
Marcos said the quadcomm inquiry already produced evidence on the alleged abuses during the war on drugs.
“It should be brought to court,” she said. “It’s time that the DoJ be ordered to file charges as necessary.”
Earlier this week, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said extrajudicial killings are not part of the anti-illegal drugs campaign of his leadership.
At the sideline of the PNP command conference on Monday, Remulla said extra-judicial killings were not part of the campaign.
Remulla emphasized the reduction of supply of illegal drugs and efforts to reduce demand.
“The PNP has done very well on the demand side. Drug cases are up. They have seized a record number of drugs in terms of gross amount in the last two years,” he said.
WITH FRANCISCO TUYAY, ARIC JOHN SY CUA
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