Ex-Pres. Duterte will be invited once allegations are laid out —Koko

Former President Rodrigo Duterte will be invited to the Senate probe on the drug war killings during his administration once the allegations have been laid out, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said Monday as he vowed to fast-track the investigation. 

In a press conference, Pimentel said the former president will not be immediately invited in the first hearing to maintain an orderly proceeding.

He added the drug war-related allegations raised against Duterte in the House of Representatives will not be "automatically" part of the Senate records as they wanted the investigation to start on a "blank slate."

"At the proper time (we will invite Duterte). Siyempre hindi naman pwedeng sa umpisa pa lang eh ang gulo na ng kwento...Hindi tayo pwedeng mag-umpisa na bigla na lang sinasagot na 'yung paratang na hindi pa nasasabi," Pimentel said.

(Of course, we cannot let the allegations be refuted right away. It will make the investigation chaotic.)

"Kung willing siya pumunta, then maybe we can set it sa second hearing. Tapusin na natin sa first hearing lahat ng alegasyon para sa second hearing, sagutin na," he said.

(If Duterte is willing to attend, then maybe we can set it in the second hearing. All the allegations should have been laid out during the first hearing then we will let him answer all of them in the second hearing.)

Pimentel said he is prepared to accept the chairmanship of the proposed Senate blue ribbon subcommittee that will investigate the drug war killings.

"I think she (Senator Pia Cayetano) will be forming a subcommittee. 'Yun ang usapan nila ni SP Chiz (Senate President Francis Escudero) and she will be naming me as chairman of the [subcommittee]. And kung gagawin... tatanggapin ko po 'yung designation ko," Pimentel, who also chairs the Senate justice and human rights committee, said.

(I think she will be forming a subcommittee. That is her discussion with Senate President Escudero and she will be naming me as the chairman of the subcommittee. Once that is final, I will accept their designation.)

In a separate statement, Cayetano said that it has already been agreed that Pimentel will preside over the hearings in her stead as she is currently attending a summit on energy as chairperson of the Senate committee on energy.

"The issue of illegal drugs and the efforts of the past and present administration to curb its proliferation is a matter of great importance to our people, especially among families who have been victims of the evils it has caused. In this regard, the Blue Ribbon Committee will give it the attention it deserves," she said.

"Given the urgency of this issue, it has been agreed that Senator Pimentel will preside over the hearings," she added.

Once it is formalized, Pimentel said the subcommittee "can hold the hearing...in the coming two weeks."

"Kung ma-formalize na lang muna lahat then I will have to fast-track everything...Focused lang kami... Kunyari hindi drug-related naman...hands off na po kami roon. Du'n sa war on drugs po tayo magpo-focus," Pimentel said.

(Once they formalize everything, then I will have to fast-track the investigation. We will be focused and we will not discuss killings that are not related to the drug war.)

"Budget time na kasi eh magugulo ang aming schedule actually. So we do not really have all the time in the world para rito... Ako naghahanda sa budget. Sino ba expected magtanong sa budget time? Hindi ba ang minority? Kaya magdo-double time po tayo ngayon. 'Yung oras natin ngayon napakahalaga," he added.

(We are set to debate the 2025 budget and the investigation might affect our schedule. So we do not really have all the time in the world for this. I am also preparing for the budget debates because the minority bloc is expected to raise questions on the budget proposals. So we will work double time.)

Realistic guest list

In line with this, Pimentel said they will make the list of resource persons "realistic" and in consultation with Senator Bong Go and Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who both sought the investigation.

"We will make it a realistic list. 'Wag 'yung sobrang dami ng inimbita, imposible naman din na mapasalita sila or matanong sila sa ilang oras ng hearing. So we will be realistic with our approach," Pimentel said.

(We will not invite many resource persons because it is also impossible for all of them to speak during the hours-long hearing. So we will be realistic with our approach.)

He said the investigation will be based on the chronology of the killings from the start of the Duterte administration in 2016 until end of the term in 2022 to make it "orderly."

"Para tayong isang train na aabante sa timeline. So 'yun ang ating gagawin hanggang sa end ng term June 30, 12 noon ng 2022," he said.

(The investigation will start from the first day of the administration until the end of the former president's term.)

Pimentel said "logic tells [him]" that retired Police Colonel Royina Garma, former National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Senior Superintendent Gerardo Padilla, the former chief of the Davao Prison and Penal Farm should be invited as resource persons in the investigation.

Although he is planning the conduct of the investigation in the context of lack of material time due to the upcoming plenary debates, Pimentel stressed that the probe can still be continued by the proper committee.

"Pagka-resume na kami, we can always hear the resolution na finile ng isang senador... and it will be referred to the proper committee. Pwede pa rin sa Blue Ribbon, pwede rin sa Justice, pero iwasan na siguro namin nga 'yung public order kasi nga 'yung chairman namin si Senator Bato," Pimentel said.

(Once we resume sessions, we can always hear the resolution that was filed by a senator and it will be referred to the proper committee. It can be referred to the Senate blue ribbon or justice committee, but we will avoid giving it to the committee on public order and dangerous drugs because it is chaired by Senator 'Bato' Dela Rosa.)

"Nababanggit kasi 'yung pangalan niya dun sa naunang investigation ng House. So it's either kahit anong term na gamitin mo delicadeza or custom or tradition, marami nang dahilan na huwag siya ang mag-chair but as a member of the Senate, attend siya kung gusto niya," he added.

(His name was mentioned in the ongoing investigation in the House of Representatives. You can cite delicadeza, custom, or tradition, but one thing is certain, there are a lot of reasons why he cannot lead the investigation. But as a member of the Senate, he can always attend if he wants to.)

‘Self-serving’

In a Viber message, former senator Leila de Lima said Dela Rosa’s plan to conduct a motu proprio drug war inquiry would be ‘self-serving.’

“It will attempt to justify killing people. I don't think that will still gain currency nowadays since the people have already realized the cost of the drug war,” De Lima told GMA News Online.

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 said the number may have reached as much as 30,000 due to unreported related killings.

The former senator said the Duterte administration's war on drugs failed to deliver its promise of peace, order, and security.

“Bato will simply be preaching to the faithful of Duterte, to those who feel so entitled as to call for the killing of others so long as they are not affected,” De Lima said.

“It can no longer convert those who believe that the bottomline in this debate is the sanctity of human life,” she added.

In 2017, De Lima was detained for allegedly engaging in the illegal drug trade. She was then freed on bail in 2023.

In June, De Lima was cleared of all drug charges against her after seven years.—AOL, GMA Integrated News