House QuadComm wants Duterte, Bato, Go charged over drug war deaths

The House Quad Committee (QuadComm) on Wednesday recommended the filing of charges against former President Rodrigo Duterte, Senators Bato dela Rosa, Bong Go, among others over the drug war deaths during the Duterte administration.

QuadComm lead chairperson and Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Barbers said Duterte, dela Rosa, Go violated Republic 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity.

Also found liable by the House panel were former police chiefs Oscar Albayalde and Debold Sinas, retired Police Colonels Royina Garma and Edilberto Leonardo as well as former Palace Assistant Irmina “Muking” Espino.

The QuadComm investigated the deaths linked to Duterte's anti-drugs campaign and the crimes related to the operations of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

“The investigation brought to light a harrowing narrative of abuse of power and institutional impunity during the Duterte administration. Witness testimonies corroborated by evidence revealed a system that incentivized the killing of suspected drug personalities: a system modeled after the so-called Davao template and replicated nationwide,” Barbers said.

“This is not merely a report of the past wrongdoings, but a call to action,” he added.

The reward for police officials for drug suspects killed was bared by Garma and Police Colonel Jovie Espenido during the hearings.

Garma directly accused Duterte and the former President’s allies of wanting such a Davao model of reward system implemented nationwide.

Likewise, Garma said the funding for the rewards came from the Palace through Leonardo and Espino, and that the rewards ranged from P20,000 to P1 million per drug suspect killed.

Duterte, who had faced the QuadComm and Senate probe on the drug war deaths, said he takes full drug responsibility for his drug war policy but he cannot be considered guilty for every suspect killed.

During the November 13 probe, the former President offered no apologies for his drug war policy and even dared the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate him for crimes against humanity as soon as possible. 

Drug personalities

Barbers said the QuadComm also found the following personalities criminally liable for their link to the illegal drug trade and drug war kills:

• Willie Ong, Aedy Ty Yang and former Mexico, Pampanga mayor Teddy Tumang and all the incorporators of Empire 999 over the seizure of 360 kilograms of shabu in Mexico, Pampanga in violation of the Comprehensive Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act
• former President Duterte, Garma, Leonardo, SP04 Arthur Narsolis, and Superintendent Gerardo Padilla for the murder of Chu Kin Tung, Li Lan Yan, and Wong Meng Pin or the Chinese inmates killed in the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in August 13, 2016
• Garma, Leonardo, Police Lieutenant Colonel Santie Mendoza, former PNP officer Nelson Mariano, a certain Jeremy “Toks” Causapin, and one alias “Loloy" over the 2020 assassination of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and retired Police General Wesley Barayuga

GMA News Online has reached out to the individuals that the QuadComm found liable for criminal acts and will publish their response as soon as it becomes available.

Proposed laws vs. deaths, drug trade

Further, Barbers said that QuadComm fulfilled its mandate of conducting inquiry with the filing of the following bills:

• House Bill No. 10986 classifying and penalizing extrajudicial killings as a heinous crime, while providing reparations for victims
• House Bill No. 10987 prohibiting all forms of offshore gaming operations in the country, with severe penalties for violations 
• House Bill No. 11043 allowing civil forfeiture of unlawfully acquired real estate properties by foreign nationals
• House Bill No. 11117 providing for the administrative cancellation of birth certificates fraudulently obtained by foreign nationals

Deeper probe

The QuadComm, however, did not recommend the filing of criminal charges against individuals allegedly involved in drug smuggling and the crimes linked to the POGOs.

Instead, the QuadComm said “further investigation should be conducted” against the following individuals:

• ex-Customs intelligence officer Jimmy Guban, Customs middleman Mark Taguba, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, Nilo Abellera Jr., Paul  Gutierrez, Benny Antiporda, Jojo Bacud, Tita Nanie and Allen Capuyan over alleged drug smuggling 
• Hong Ming Yang  a.k.a. Michael Yang, Wei Xiong Lin a.k.a. Allan Lim, Charlie Tan and Sammy Uy also over alleged drug smuggling
• former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr.,Cassandra Li Ong, Guo Hua  Ping a.k.a. Alice Leal Guo, Yang Jian Xin a.k.a. Tony Yang, and Hongjiang Yang over alleged involvement in POGO-linked crimes.

“Our inquiry delved deeper into the operations of these entities and uncovered an even more sinister reality—their connections to the illegal drug trade and organized crime activities facilitated by POGOs," Barbers said.

He added, "What was initially presented as a revenue-generating industry has instead become a breeding ground for illegal activities such as human trafficking, money  laundering, investment scams, cybercrimes, and even murder. I urge my fellow legislators to give this report the attention it deserves and to support the proposed measures that will ensure these injustices are never repeated."—LDF, GMA Integrated News