Senate blue ribbon committee to probe Duterte admin drug war

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.

"Pangungunahan ng blue ribbon committee ang pagdinig na 'yan," Escudero said in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB reporter Nimfa Ravelo.

(The blue ribbon committee will lead the hearings.)

Escudero said Senators Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa and Bong Go agreed to this.

Dela Rosa and Go had asked the Senate to conduct the probe which will be done parallel to the House Quad Committee (QuadComm) investigation.

Escudero said Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel will most likely lead the investigation as chairman of the subcommittee of the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (blue ribbon), since Senator Pia Cayetano is busy with her reelection bid, Escudero said.

"At nakausap ko na sila at nasabihin ko na kung maaari makipag-coordinate kay Sen. Bato at Sen. Go kaugnay ng mga testigong nais nilang maimbitan at ng schedule din na magiging pagdinig," he said.

(And I already talked to them and told them that if possible, coordinate with Sen. Bato and Sen. Go regarding the witnesses they want to invite and the schedule of the hearings.)

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.

"Siguro aabot 'yun doon, pero at least masimulan na ng isa o dalawang hearing man lang," he said.

(The hearings may go beyond November 4, but at least there would have been one or two hearings already before session resumes.)

Asked if there were parameters set for the investigation amid concerns the hearings may be used by senators being linked to the drug war to get back at witnesses who testified at the House QuadComm, Escudero said no such parameters have been set.

"Well, hindi paghihiganti ang tingin ko roon. Ang tingin ko roon ay karapatan at obligasyon nila 'yun bilang mga halal ng bayan na ipakita 'yung kanilang panig at ipakita 'yung panig nila ng katotohanan kaugnay sa mga isyung pinupukol sa kanila. They owe nothing less to the public...Para sa akin, para ipakita naman 'yung kanilang panig na hindi nabigyan ng pagkakataon sa House hearings," the Senate president said.

(Well, I don't see it as vengeance. I see that as the right and obligation of elected officials to air their side and reveal the truth regarding the issues being linked to them. They owe nothing less to the public... For me, it's to show their side that was not given the opportunity to be aired during the House hearings.)

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