House lawmakers are considering inviting former President Rodrigo Duterte to appear before the joint committee investigating drug-related extrajudicial killings (EJKs) after his name was brought up by several witnesses during the hearings.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, October 9, Rep. Bienvenido Abante (Manila, 6th District) said the House quadcom may invite Duterte “by the next hearing on EJKs.” However, Abante noted that the committee might delay the invitation due to the number of resource persons who still need to be questioned, especially in connection with cases involving retired police chief Royina Garma.
Duterte had previously expressed his willingness to attend the probe but urged lawmakers to ask “educated questions.” He made this statement during a press conference on October 5, when reporters asked about his potential involvement in the investigation into EJKs under his administration.
Rep. Dan Fernandez (Santa Rosa, Lone District), another co-chair of the quadcom, emphasized that the invitation to Duterte remains open. “It is a continuing invitation for the former president, which will allow him to shed light on many issues and defend himself against the allegations from the victims of the drug war,” Fernandez told Philstar.com.
Duterte’s name surfaced in testimonies from various resource persons, including dismissed police lieutenant colonel Santie Mendoza, who mentioned the pressure he faced to carry out the assassination of Wesley Barayuga, a former board secretary of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). Mendoza linked this pressure to Duterte’s close associates, including Garma and National Police Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo.
Additionally, Bureau of Corrections Senior Superintendent Gerardo Padilla testified that Duterte personally congratulated him after three Chinese nationals were murdered in 2016 inside the Davao Prison and Penal Farm. Padilla implicated Garma in masterminding the operation.
The House joint committee, set to conclude its hearings on October 11, may extend the investigation if more victims and organizations come forward. “The quadcom hearing is not only in aid of legislation but also in aid of prosecution,” Abante said, stressing the need for justice for the victims of the drug war.
