Chiz: No reason to refuse certifying drug war probe transcripts

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero sees no reason for the Senate blue ribbon committee to refuse "justifiable" requests to certify transcripts of its hearings on the Duterte administration's war on drugs.

"Kung may manghihingi na i-certify 'yung transcript, wala ako nakikita dahilan para hindi i-certify ng blue ribbon committee basta 'yung dahilan or rason ay justifiable," Escudero told Super Radyo dzBB in an interview.

(If someone asks to certify the hearing transcript, I see no reason why the blue ribbon committee should not certify it as long as the reason is justifiable.)

During a Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee hearing, former President Rodrigo Duterte said he would take "full, legal responsibility" for his administration's war on drugs but will not apologize for it.

"My mandate as President of the Republic was to protect the country and the Filipino people. Do not question my policies because I offer no apologies, no excuses. I did what I had to do. Whether you believe it or not, I did for my country," he said.

In a separate interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers reiterated that the House Quad Committee will not share its transcript with the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"'Yung mga transcript, hindi naman puwede maibigay sa ICC dahil hindi naman tayo member ng ICC at maliwanag yung sinabi ng ating dating pangulo (Duterte) na the ICC should work on their own," said Barbers, who co-chairs the House QuadComm investigating extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration.

(The transcripts cannot be given to the ICC because we are not a member of the ICC. What the former president said was clear: the ICC should work on their own.)

However, Barbers clarified that the transcripts are public documents. 

"'Yung National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL), humihingi ng transcript ng committee hearings namin, at dahil ito ay public document, nasa lahat ng social media platforms ng Kongreso, binigyan ng aming mga transcript. Kung saan nila gagamitin 'yan, nasa kanila na 'yun," Barbers said.

(The National Union of People's Lawyers asked for the transcript of our committee hearings, and since it is a public document, posted on all social media platforms of the Congress, we gave our transcript. That's up to them where they will use it.)

Earlier, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV submitted transcripts of the Senate probe on the drug war to the ICC.

Duterte has declined to comment on Trillanes’ submission. — VDV, GMA Integrated News