By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Emphasizing that no one is above the law—whether rich or poor, president or not—House Assistant Majority Leader Jay Khonghun of Zambales on Tuesday (November 5, 2024) called on former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to attend the Quad Comm hearing on Thursday, November 7.

“Nobody, and I mean nobody, is above the law—literally and figuratively. We are a nation of laws, not of men. This is too basic in all law schools,” Khonghun pointed out.

“And not just that, this is taught early in school, even to non-political science (pre-law) students. This very popular phrase is self-explanatory. This is also the essence and bedrock of our democratic society that we always hold dear,” he emphasized.

Khonghun, a leader of the “Young Guns” clique in the chamber, also reiterated that Duterte should move beyond merely protecting policemen he allegedly ordered to kill drug suspects, especially since he is no longer immune from prosecution as of July 2022.

“There is the repeated demand for public accountability here, especially in light of the so-called state-sponsored executions where innocent lives have been lost in the name of the purported war against illegal drugs,” Khonghun said.

“Go beyond rhetoric. Tell us the whole truth about EJKs, and don’t be selective in your testimony. The Filipinos deserve nothing less. Prove to us your real worth by showing you are the country’s poster boy in terms of transparency, that you’re not afraid of anything,” Khonghun said.

“Truth, no matter how hard, should prevail above everything else, even more than power itself.”

“There should be truth above power, whose holders only come and go. As elected officials in charge of making laws, ferreting out the whole truth has been part of our mandate. It is our priority, and we will make sure that real culprits are indicted, powerful or not,” he warned.

ia/mnm

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Alarmed by the admission of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte that he had a “gentleman’s agreement” with Chinese President Xi Jinping, House Assistant Majority Leader Jay Khonghun of Zambales on Sunday (14 April 2024) said the House of Representatives will look into the alleged secret deal over conduct in the West Philippine Sea.

Khonghun pointed out that the House wants to “uncover the truth” as the feisty ex-president and Beijing issued “conflicting statements” on the alleged secret deal.

“[A]t the forefront of the upcoming inquiry lies a pivotal question: ‘Who is lying—Duterte or China—regarding the existence of the contentious agreement?'” Khonghun said.

On Thursday (11 April 2024), Duterte admitted that he had agreed with Xi Jinping to maintain the status quo in the West Philippine Sea.

“Aside from the fact of having a handshake with President Xi Jinping, the only thing I remember was status quo. That’s the word na walang galawan — no movement, no armed patrols there…para walang magkagulo, hindi tayo magkagulo. Yun ang naaalala ko. I do not even know the Ayungin Shoal,” Duterte said.

On the other hand, China has maintained that the PBBM administration did not honor the deal later on.

“At the beginning of the current Philippine Administration, the said Agreement was still followed in handling the resupply mission of Ren’ai Jiao (Ayungin, Second Thomas Shoal),” the Chinese Embassy said in a statement.

“But since February 2023, the Philippine side has ceased to abide by the Agreement, categorically denied its existence, and kept stirring up trouble to provoke incidents. This is the reason behind the constant volatility in Ren’ai Jiao in the past year,” it added.

But on Friday (12 April 2024), President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. said he would not have entered into a secret deal with China to maintain a status quo in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), unlike what Duterte did.

(el Amigo/MNM)