THE House of Representatives’ quad committee on Thursday ruled to invite the lawyer of former president Rodrigo Duterte to its next hearing.
Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop, committee senior vice chairman, made the motion to invite Martin Delgra 3rd. Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, overall committee chairman, approved the motion.
The committee had invited Duterte to its October 22 hearing as a resource person. Replying in Duterte’s behalf, Delgra said his client cannot attend the hearing on that date.
House of Representatives’ quad committee. Screengrab from PUBLIC HEARING OF THE HOUSE QUAD-COMMITTEE FB live
He said Duterte had just arrived in Davao City from Metro Manila on Oct. 17 after attending a Senate hearing, “and is in need of much rest.” Abang Lingkod Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, a chairman of the quad committee, said it was clear that Duterte was toying around with the quad committee, “because the first letter promised us that he will be present after November 1.”
The Manila Times asked former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo to comment on Paduano’s statements.
“The letter of [Duterte] through his lawyer declining the invitation for today is self-explanatory. Hence there is no need for an elaboration,” Panelo said.
The quad committee is investigating alleged extrajudicial killings during Duterte’s war on drugs.
It had invited Duterte to its hearing on Nov. 7 as a resource person.
In his letter, Delgra said Duterte doubts the committee’s “integrity, independence and probity to conduct the legislative inquiry in aid of legislation,” describing it as “a mere political ploy aimed to indict him for crime or crimes he did not commit.”
Delgra also said that Duterte “has said everything he wanted to say” about the war on drugs and the extrajudicial killings during the Senate inquiry.
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