By Junex Doronio

MANILA — House Quad Comm overall chair Robert Ace Barbers on Thursday (07 Nov 2024) hit back at Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa for claiming that the mega-panel’s probe into extrajudicial killings (EJKs) from Duterte administration’s drug war was a “gag show,” suggesting the senator might be casting himself as the punchline.

“We may be accused of providing entertainment and likened to a gag show, but who is laughing?” Barbers said as the Quad Comm resumed its probe into more than 20,000 deaths tied to former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s bloody anti-drug campaign.

“On the contrary, the one who said that must be so full of himself that he didn’t notice that the joke was on him,” Barbers added.

Dela Rosa, a key figure in Duterte’s drug war as the former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), has repeatedly declined invitations to participate in the Quad Comm inquiry, even going so far as to dismiss it as a “gag show.”

In his opening statement during the Quad Comm’s tenth public hearing, Barbers insisted that the ongoing investigation aims to uncover the truth behind the thousands of deaths, not to provide entertainment.

The lawmaker from Surigao del Norte also dismissed allegations that witnesses have been coerced into testifying, including recent claims from Police Col. Hector Grijaldo, who alleged pressure from committee leaders to confirm the existence of a reward system in the drug war.

Barbers said the witnesses and resource persons have freely and voluntarily shared information, without any coercion from the joint panel, composed of the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights and Public Accounts.

He firmly denied any attempts to manipulate testimonies, underscoring the integrity of the investigation process.

“Forced admissions, in any way, were never a part of Quad Comm,” Barbers, who also chairs the Committee on Dangerous Drugs, said.

Barbers reiterated that the Quad Comm’s purpose is not to entertain but to seek justice for the families of EJK victims and survivors who have been “longing for the truth.”

He underscored the Quad Comm’s legislative responsibility, noting that the investigation’s findings are intended to inform new laws and policy recommendations.

“If along the way, people are found to be liable, it is our duty to make sure that justice is served. There is nothing funny about it. We only mean serious business,” he asserted.

Barbers assured that the committee remains resolute in its mission, describing the disturbing evidence encountered thus far.

“We owe it to the people,” he said, pledging that the committee would continue to pursue its duty to uncover the truth.

ia/mnm