By Junex Doronio
MANILA – Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will no longer be invited by the House Quad Committee as it prepares to present to the plenary an initial report on its exhaustive inquiries into illegal drugs, the connection to illicit Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), and extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during his administration.
On Sunday, December 8, 2024, lead panel chairman Rep. Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte announced that the mega committee would submit the report before Congress begins its Christmas recess on December 21.
“No need na siguro, because yong 12-13 hours na meeting natin sa kanya (Duterte) basically ‘yun na yong gusto nating marinig, a little more than what he revealed or what he admitted in the Senate. So sa tingin ko sufficient na yon,” Barbers said.
He added that the Quad Committee is presenting a “progress report” so that several remedial legislative measures filed by its members could soon be acted upon.
“The reason kasi why we will submit this in the plenary ‘yong progress report, kasi there are things na dapat maaksiyunan na kaagad,” Barbers explained.
He noted that the plenary could suggest to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to include the measures in his priority legislative agenda, or even certify them as urgent to expedite the approval process.
“Halimbawa, no yong mga proposed legislation na ifinile namin no we are hoping na because this is the output of Quad Comm…eh dapat siguro kung pupuwede maisama sa legislative agenda na ating Pangulo or baka suwertehin pa tayo, ma-certify as urgent yung bill no nang sa ganun yung counterpart naman sa Senate ay gumawa din at kumilos din. So basically, this is the intention of the progress report, para ma-dispose na namin yan,” the Surigaonon lawmaker stressed.
Barbers highlighted that Quad Comm members have introduced at least four remedial measures.
“Importante yan kasi, if I’m not mistaken, mayroon kaming mga apat na proposed legislation na diyan tungkol sa amendments to the Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002,” he said.
“So maaaring ma-consider din ito bilang priority legislation. So sana, this is what we are hoping for na once the plenary ay majority of the members agree and vote in support of this report, then perhaps it will give a signal that this should be included in the legislative agenda of our President,” he added.
Among the proposed legislation is a bill defining extrajudicial killing as a heinous crime with the maximum penalty for offenders, and a proposal to create an inter-agency government committee led by the Philippine Statistics Authority to expedite the cancellation of questionable birth certificates.
During its inquiry, the panel discovered that several Chinese nationals obtained Filipino citizenship using fake birth certificates. These individuals then formed corporations and purchased land and buildings used for illegal activities, including a warehouse in Barangay San Jose Malino, Mexico town, Pampanga, where authorities seized ₱3.6 billion worth of shabu in September 2023.
Barbers noted that the initial progress report would also include recommendations for filing charges against individuals linked to illegal drugs, illicit POGOs, and EJKs, urging government agencies to pursue these cases.
“Mayroon tayong nirerekomenda d’yan based on testimonial evidence and documentary evidence. Eh nakita namin na siguro its high time that we report this out and let the appropriate agency conduct further investigation on EJK, mayroon din sa POGO and drugs,” he said.
The panel will continue presenting progress reports as it pursues inquiries into illegal drugs, POGOs, and EJKs. Barbers mentioned the plan to conclude the POGO segment of the investigation to focus on drugs and EJKs.
“We are thinking of already terminating yong hearing namin sa POGO, so tututok na lang tayo sa dalawang usapin no yong EJK at saka yong drugs,” the Mindanao lawmaker said.
IA/MNM
