The Senate blue ribbon committee has been chosen by senators to conduct an investigation into the war on drugs of the Duterte administration, Senate President Chiz Escudero said on Sunday.
Escudero said Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Bong Go agreed to this, according to a report by Nimfa Ravelo on Super Radyo dzBB.
Dela Rosa and Go asked the Senate to conduct the probe which will be done parallel to the House Quad Committee (QuadComm) investigation.
Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel will lead the subcommittee of the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (blue ribbon) since Senator Pia Cayetano is still busy, Escudero said.
The blue ribbon committee was chosen to conduct the probe since it can do motu proprio investigation while Congress is on recess.
Escudero wants the hearings conducted while Congress is still on recess since the Senate will be busy with deliberations on the national budget and other matters when the regular session resumes on November 4.
No parameters were set for the investigation.
On Monday, Go floated the idea of conducting a parallel Senate investigation into the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs.
Go, a former aide and a loyal ally of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, raised this amid what he called “baseless accusations” raised against him, the former president, and Dela Rosa in the ongoing House QuadComm investigation into the matter.
Dela Rosa, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs and former Philippine National Police chief during the Duterte administration, on Wednesday meanwhile said he will launch a motu proprio investigation into the war on drugs. The senator said Duterte will be invited as one of their resource persons.
On Thursday, Go filed Senate Resolution No. 1217 directing the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation on the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs.
Go, committee vice chair, said the campaign against illegal drugs “became the bedrock of the Duterte administration, which delivered a strong message that has resonated deeply with many Filipinos, fueled by their escalating frustration over the worsening drug crisis.”
“However, several accusations have sparked concerns and raised serious allegations about potential human rights violations and abuse of power,” said Go, adding that “it is imperative to uncover the truth and discern efforts that are meant to utterly discredit the campaign against illegal drugs.”
Escudero on Friday said he was considering the blue ribbon committee to lead the proposed motu proprio investigation while Congress is not in session. If the investigation will be conducted when the Senate resumes session, however, Escudero said it will be handled by the Justice and Human Rights Committee.
Meanwhile Senator Risa Hontiveros insisted that the Committee of the Whole should investigate the drug war.
“Of course, ‘yung Senate blue ribbon committee ang kumbaga pinaka-komite ng aming mga komite. Pero siyempre wala nang hihigit sa Senate Committee of the Whole…Magpapakita ito ng importansya na ibinibigay ng Senado sa napakahalagang isyu na ito. Tinututukan na nga ng QuadComm at hindi lang ng isang komite sa House,” Hontiveros said in a virtual press conference on Friday.
(Although the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is the highest of all committees, there is nothing compared to a Senate Committee of the Whole. This will show that the Senate is giving primordial importance to this very important issue. In the House, four committees instead of just one are already investigating this matter.)
QuadComm
Meanwhile, a partial committee report on the probe of the House QuadComm on the Duterte administration’s drug war may already be released next week, according to lead chair and Surigao del Norte lawmaker Ace Barbers.
Barbers said on Friday that the report will include a recommendation of filing criminal charges against individuals who killed drug suspects and personalities.
Barbers also said that the proposed parallel Senate inquiry on drug war killings during the Duterte administration will only be useful if there are new witnesses who will testify.
“We welcome the proposal of having a parallel Senate inquiry, but what is more important here kung meron mga bagong mga witnesses na haharap at magbibigay ng mga bagong pahayag. Well and good ‘yan (parallel inquiry) kasi naka-align ‘yan sa objective at layunin ng QuadComm na maglabas talaga ng katotohanan,” Barbers said.
(We welcome the proposal of having a parallel Senate inquiry, but what is more important here is whether there will be new witnesses who will face the hearing and give new statements. That parallel inquiry is well and good because it is aligned with the objective and aim of QuadComm to bring out the truth.)
Government records show that there were at least 6,200 drug suspects killed in police operations from June 2016 to November 2021, but several human rights groups have refuted this and say that the number may have reached as much as 30,000 due to unreported related killings. —KG, GMA Integrated News
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