By Junex Doronio

MANILA – House Quad Committee co-chair Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. on Monday (28 Oct 2024), called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) to consider filing appropriate charges against former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte following his recent admission of responsibility for killings connected to his administration’s war on drugs.

At the Senate, Duterte stated in his opening remarks that he alone takes “full legal responsibility” for the “successes and shortcomings” of the drug war. “Sa lahat ng nagawa ng pulis pursuant to my order, ako ang managot at makulong,” he said.

Abante, who also chairs the House Committee on Human Rights, emphasized that Duterte’s testimony could open the door to investigations by the DOJ and OMB. “The House Quad Comm has already unearthed evidence and testimony supporting allegations that some victims of the drug war were innocent, na sila ay biktima ng isang kampanya na binigay ng basbas ng Malacañang,” said Abante.

“We have testimony showing that directives and incentives led to innocent lives being lost. If the former president claims responsibility for these acts, he should be held accountable,” Abante asserted.

He added that Duterte’s admission could have implications both in Philippine and international courts, including the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“While he was President, he was shielded by political considerations. But now, his admission might provide enough basis for both Philippine and ICC prosecutors to hold him accountable,” Abante explained.

The ICC, which had launched a preliminary examination of the anti-drug campaign, could interpret Duterte’s statements as endorsing systematic actions against alleged drug offenders—a potential crime against humanity.

Though the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019, Abante noted that the ICC retains jurisdiction over incidents before this date, covering much of Duterte’s term.

“PRRD’s admission should be taken seriously by Philippine authorities and the international community. This is a critical moment to reaffirm our commitment to human rights, justice, and the rule of law,” Abante emphasized.

He concluded, “The legal basis is there. We owe it to the victims and the Filipino people to pursue justice without fear or favor.”

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By Junex Doronio

MANILA – House Quad Committee co-chair and Manila Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. on Friday (18 Oct 2024) directly challenged former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and now Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa to explain the legal basis for the release of additional allowances for police officers involved in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

Abante, who also chairs the House Committee on Human Rights, criticized what he described as an attempt to mask these payments as part of a “rewards system” modeled after the “Davao method,” which incentivized the killing of suspected drug dealers and users—a system that, according to Abante, led to the deaths of innocent civilians.

“If these were truly allowances, it raises more questions than answers. Was there a memo from the PNP? Did relevant agencies like the DBM approve it? Did it go through Congress, because if these were intel funds, this is public money,” Abante stated.

PCSO General Manager Royina Garma had previously testified about the existence of a “rewards system” for drug kills, allegedly patterned after the Davao model, with the directive reportedly coming from former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Garma further claimed that these cash rewards were channeled through the country’s banking system, with personalities from the office of former Special Assistant to the President and now Sen. Bong Go being involved.

Abante acknowledged Sen. Dela Rosa’s clarification that the disbursements were for operational needs, such as meals and transportation, but noted that this admission raises serious concerns about transparency and accountability.

“Assuming these were allowances, Sen. Bato needs to address key questions: Were there safeguards to ensure the funds were used for legitimate purposes? How was the distribution monitored to prevent misuse or the promotion of violence?” Abante questioned.

He added that as the former PNP chief, Sen. Dela Rosa should explain the systems in place during his tenure to prevent officers from interpreting these cash disbursements as rewards for aggressive actions.

The QuadComm intends to involve the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to verify Garma’s claims that a certain Peter Parungo processed the rewards for alleged drug kills through his accounts at Metrobank, BDO, and PS Bank.

“Is Sen. Dela Rosa telling the truth, or is this an effort to distance the program from accusations of extrajudicial killings? The truth will eventually come out,” Abante asserted.

“We now have more questions for Sen. Bato. It would be best if he attended our hearings so his statements could be made under oath. Otherwise, he might deny them later,” Abante concluded.

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By Junex Doronio

MANILA — House QuadComm co-chair and Manila Representative Benny Abante on Wednesday (16 Oct 2024) laughed off Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s pronouncement that he will launch a motu proprio investigation into the previous administration’s “war on drugs” with former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte as one of their resource persons.

Abante, House human rights panel chairperson, expressed doubt on Dela Rosa’s fairness in conducting the investigation.

“Hindi [siya] magiging fair. He became the [chief] of the Philippine National Police during the time of the former president. So, I would think that he would be more biased than actually balanced in that hearing,” he said in a press conference.

Abante also cast doubts if majority of the senators will support Dela Rosa’s initiative.

“I really do not know if most of the senators would agree to it. That’s just a word of one senator. We still have to wait until that time,” the Manila solon stated.

He reiterated  that the QuadComm will also invite Duterte to face the drug war deaths probe as the need arises.

“Definitely, we’re going to invite the former President. I [just] don’t know when. For me, if we’re going to invite the former president, we won’t invite too many resource persons so he could, he is able to freely say his piece,” Abante said.

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