MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police said on Monday, October 21, that former President Rodrigo Duterte received the committee’s invitation for the House hearing into the extrajudicial killings linked to the drug war, scheduled for Tuesday, October 22.
While the former president expressed his intention to attend the House hearings if formally invited, his legal counsel Martin Delgra responded in a letter saying that Duterte is "currently not feeling well."
He added that the invitation was sent on short notice, only four days before the hearing, with the House quadcom's invitation dated October 18.
Delgra, however, also mentioned that Duterte will "defer his appearance" and is still willing to attend the joint committee's hearings after November 1.
Prior to this, House leaders on Monday said that there is no guarantee that Duterte will get off scot-free from contempt citations in the congressional probe into the EJKs during his administration's drug war.
House quadcom co-chair Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod Partylist) said at a press conference that a motion to cite Duterte in contempt will depend on his answers and behavior.
“I cannot, the Committee personally, I cannot assure that. It is up to him to be present tomorrow, and it is up to his answers, and his actuations during the hearing,” he explained.
What does it mean to be cited in contempt? Citing a resource person in contempt during a legislative inquiry means that lawmakers are formally accusing them of lying, refusing to answer questions, engaging in disrespectful behavior, or failing to comply with a subpoena or show cause order.
Paduano also said they don’t want to preempt the former president as they intend to extend him the “due courtesy his office should be afforded.”
The overall chair of the mega panel, Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (Surigao del Norte, 2nd District), shared a similar answer, saying they will “respect him as a person” and as the country’s former president.
Meanwhile, Rep. Bienvenido Abante (Manila, 6th District), who chairs the human rights committee, said that while they are willing to listen to Duterte explain the necessity of his war on drugs and the thousands of Filipinos killed, what House lawmakers want to know is whether due process was given to suspects.
“We're willing to listen, we're willing to listen na sinabi niya several times na patayin ang mga drug pushers. … What I am concerned about is if there was due process?” Abante said in a mix of English and Filipino.
“Was there what we call in the Constitution, giving an opportunity even to those suspects who we do not consider criminals unless proven guilty?” he asked.
Should Duterte not take his oath like his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, Paduano said they will “stick to their rules.”
“What our rules [are] should be followed during committee hearings, and let us see tomorrow,” he said.
When was Duterte mentioned? The former president was asked to attend the probe into the EJKs of his war on drugs after several resource persons mentioned his name in their testimonies.
One case concerns the killing of three alleged Chinese drug lords at the Davao Prison Farm in 2016, where two inmates involved in the operations confessed to hearing Duterte congratulate the prison’s former warden, Gerardo Padilla, after the killings were carried out.
Padilla confirmed this himself, saying that he had received a phone call from Duterte applauding him for “a job well done.”
The alleged mastermind behind the killings, retired police chief Royina Garma, also implicated Duterte in a sworn statement, claiming that the former president sought her assistance in implementing the drug war’s reward system — commonly referred to as the “Davao Model.”
This reward system was allegedly implemented by Edilberto Leonardo, a Duterte appointee and former National Police Commission Commissioner, who offered police officers up to P1 million for each drug suspect killed.
Duterte has denied ordering the arbitrary killings of drug suspects as well as the reward systempop party online casino, saying he only offered meals and congratulated police officers.
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