Luistro: Testimonies show war on drugs used vs. political foes

Witness testimonies at the House Quad Committee hearings show that the Duterte administration used its drug war to undermine or even eradicate political enemies, Batangas lawmaker Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro said Monday. 

The witnesses include former Iloilo mayor Jed Mabilog and Police Lieutenant Colonel Santie Mendoza of the Philippine National-Police Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-PDEG), who testified in the QuadComm's ongoing investigation into the drug war deaths during the Duterte administration.

Mabilog said he was forced to link opposition leaders and former Senators Manuel “Mar” Roxas and Franklin Drilon to the drug trade or his life will be in danger,

Mendoza testified that he was ordered to kill Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Board Secretary Wesley Barayuga by then-PCSO General Manager Royina Garma and Napolcom Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo. Both Barayuga and Garma were also retired police officers. 

“For one, these extrajudicial killings, for the longest time, we thought this was about drugs. But the probe have shown a new context. If you look back at the testimonies, mukhang nagamit ang [it looks like they used] extrajudicial killings as [means for] political vendetta,” Luistro, a member of the QuadComm, told reporters in an online press conference.

“Just because certain people did not support the former president in his presidential bid, they used this war on drugs to go against these people. As for the case of Wesley Barayuga, he was purposely included in the narcolist because he had an issue with Garma on [PCSO game] Peryahan ng Bayan. Barayuga was not really in the narcolist. As matter of fact, nilagay siya sa listahan ng narcolist at the time na patay na siya [he was put on the narcolist when he was already dead]. So, it broadens the context. Drug war also concerns politics, and even competition with certain illegal activities among the competitors,” she added.

The congresswoman said that Mabilog and Mendoza will not be the last ones to testify before the QuadComm on the matter.

“I have been receiving text messages from people volunteering to testify, but of course, I have to go through it with our chairman first. Our fellow QuadComm members have also received information about vital testimonies and witnesses,” Luistro said.

Panelo responds

Salvador Panelo, chief presidential legal counsel and spokesperson during Duterte's term, said lawmakers should not take the witnesses' statements as gospel truth.

"The problem with Cong Luistro is she is taking as gospel truth the testimony of Mabilog who is putting forward an illogical and nonsensical argument that since he did not support the candidacy of President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016, he was included in the drug list. [Ninety-nine percent] of the heads of local governments did not support President Rodrigo Duterte," Panelo said in a text message to GMA News Online. 

"If we will follow the logic of  Mabilog’s accusations then all those governors, mayors and barangay captains and other LGU officials would have been included in the drug list. His inclusion in the list was based on the combined and validated intelligence reports of various law enforcement agencies which was given to PRRD who in turn made the public announcement," he added.

Panelo, who did not address the Baraguya case, also said that courts, not lawmakers, are the best judges of testimonies.

"As a lawyer, Congressman Luistro should know that only the courts can determine whether the resource persons testimonies are true or not. What she should do if she is so minded and believe in the testimony of Mabilog, is to assist him in filing the case against against those who they perceive to have committed an injustice," he said. 

"Otherwise, she is politicking and may be unconsciously joining the demolition job on the former President."

Former President Rodrigo Duterte and other top officials of his administration are already being investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with the alleged commission of crimes against humanity for systematic drug war deaths in police operations during his tenure. Police records count about 6,000 deaths, but human rights groups contend that the actual toll may be as high as 30,000, including vigilante killings due to Duterte's policy.

Mabilog has said that he is willing to testify in the ICC probe.

The former Chief Executive, however, has insisted that the Philippines is not under ICC jurisdiction due to Manila's unilateral withdrawal from the Rome Statute in March 2019.

Probe to resume

In a separate interview, House QuadComm chairperson Ace Barbers said the House probe will continue after the filing of candidacy from October 1 to 8. 

“Even if Congress is on break (not in session), the instruction of Speaker Martin Romualdez is to continue with the committee hearings,” he said. 

“We’ll keep at this, and maybe we’ll resume during the third or fourth week of October,” Barbers added. — BM, GMA Integrated News