Duterte on skipping QuadComm hearing: Nothing to add, no money to go

Former President Rodrigo Duterte said he has nothing left to explain about the drug war during his tenure and does not have enough money to go to Manila to face the Quad Committee of the House of Representatives (QuadComm) inquiry.

This developed as Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Barbers, lead chairperson of the QuadComm, said the panels are not inclined to issue a subpoena to the former leader for repeatedly snubbing the committee's invitations.

Earlier, Reps. Benny Abante of Manila and Stephen Paduano of Abang Lingkod party-list called out Duterte for skipping Thursday’s hearing when he previously said he would attend the inquiry set after November 1. 

“What is there to say? Or more to what I have said? Sinabi ko naman lahat. Ano po pa ang gusto ng mga gago? (What do these stooges want),” Duterte said in a press conference in his hometown Davao city in reference to his previous attendance before a Senate inquiry on the drug war.

“Sipain ko sila. T*ng*n*. Pera nila [ang gagastusin?] Wala na akong pera eh. Magpamasahe ako roon?  I am living on my retirement pay. Wala akong extra money nasa bangko. Lahat sweldo ko yan, pati retirement ko. Sila pa ang galit ngayon?,” Duterte added.

(I'll kick them. F*ck it. Are they paying for my fare? I don't have money. I would pay for my fare? I don't have extra money in the bank. All of it is just my salary and retirement pay. And they are the ones who are upset?)

The former President then said he did not receive notice that he was supposed to come, even as his counsel Martin Delgra III wrote the QuadComm that Duterte won’t be attending the November 7 inquiry because he already doubts the integrity of the investigating panels. 

“In fairness to the idiots, wala akong [nakuhang] notice na pupunta ako ngayon. You don't scare me. Galing na ako pagka-presidente. Huwag nila akong ganunin. Galing na ako sa Congress. Mayor ako, congressman ako, Presidente. Do not give me that sh*t,” Duterte said.

(I did not get the notice. I have been a President. They should not treat me that way. I have been in Congress, been mayor and President.)

Sought for response, Barbers said in a separate press conference, “We perfectly understand his sentiments. It’s his right. And as former President, we respect his views on our invitation to come before the QuadComm."

“In deference to him being the former President, we still will accord him all the necessary courtesy that we can extend to him for being the former President,” Barbers added.

He said when a resource person fails to attend several hearings of a House committee, a show cause order is issued.

After this comes a subpoena. If it is still ignored, the resource person may be cited in contempt and be detained.

Several resource persons have linked the former president to extrajudicial killings but Barbers said the testimonies must be backed up by substantial evidence.

He also assured the special task force created by the Department of Justice to investigate EJK cases of access to QuadComm records.

“Yun naman po ang dapat. At yan po ay hindi labag sa ating rules. Kung sakali naman po na may kakulangan sa mga impormasyon na nakalap ng committee, maaari po sila magtanong diretsa o diretso doon sa mga taong gusto nilang interviewhin, na may kinalaman doon sa mga iniimbestigahan namin,” he said.

(It doesn't go against our rules. If there are missing information from what the committees have gathered, then they can directly ask the resource persons.)

Barbers says individuals continue to approach the QuadComm to testify but the committee has to vet first the information.

Barbers hopes to wrap up the investigation before the year ends.

“Maaaring ma-terminate na namin yung investigation diyan sa Pogo. Doon sa (Committee on) Public Accounts, ‘yung mga lupa na binili ng mga foreign nationals. I cannot really honestly say hanggang kailan but I am looking at before the end of the year,” he said.

(Maybe, we can terminate the investigation on tje POGO. The committee on public accounts can handle the property allegedly bought by foreign nationals.)—LDF, GMA Integrated News