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Police officers take shelter as it rains during a raid on a drug den in Manila on Oct. 5, 2016, where 95 drug suspects were arrested and two drug suspects were killed. Noel Celis, Agence France-Presse

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Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1729080375303New Project (1).jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Police officers take shelter as it rains during a raid on a drug den in Manila on Oct. 5, 2016, where 95 drug suspects were arrested and two drug suspects were killed. Noel Celis, Agence France-Presse"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Police officers take shelter as it rains during a raid on a drug den in Manila on Oct. 5, 2016, where 95 drug suspects were arrested and two drug suspects were killed. Noel Celis, Agence France-Presse</span></span></span></div><p><span data-teams="true" id="isPasted"><span dir="ltr"></span></span>MANILA — Some members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday cast doubt on the impartiality of a parallel Senate investigation into the Duterte administration’s drug war planned by Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who once led the war on drugs during his stint as Philippine National Police chief.</p><p>Dela Rosa’s call for a motu proprio (on its own) parallel probe comes as former police officer and PCSO general manager Royina Garma implicated him, former President Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Christopher &quot;Bong&quot; Go in an alleged “reward system” for cops who killed alleged drug personalities.</p><p>Both senators have denied that a reward system existed.</p><p>Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., co-chair of the joint hearings into issues linked to the Duterte administration, said that while he welcomes a Senate probe into alleged extrajudicial killings in the war on drugs, he does not expect fairness from Dela Rosa.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/16/dela-rosa-plans-senate-hearings-on-drug-war-he-used-to-lead-1357" id="isPasted">&#x27;Check and balance&#x27;: Dela Rosa plans Senate hearings on drug war he used to lead</a></div><p>“The thing is he became the director general of the Philippine National Police during the time of the former president,&quot; Abante said, as he pointed out that Duterte promoted Dela Rosa to the equivalent rank of general from the equivalent rank of brigadier general in 2016.</p><p>&quot;So, I would think that he would be more biased than actually balanced in that hearing,” he said.</p><div><strong>DELA ROSA DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN DRUG WAR</strong></div><p>ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro also pointed out that Dela Rosa used to lead the PNP, which implemented the anti-drug operations under scrutiny. </p><p>&quot;The sincerity and objectivity of this proposed investigation are in question, as it seems to serve as a diversion rather than a genuine effort to uncover the truth,&quot; Castro said in a statement.</p><p>&quot;Bakit ngayon lang sila mag-iimbestiga? ‘Di ba dapat may investigation o inquest ang bawat napatay sa war on drugs ni Duterte at noong PNP chief pa siya?&quot; she added.</p><p> (Why would they just investigate now? Shouldn&#x27;t there have been an investigation or inquest for every war on drugs death under Duterte and when he was PNP chief?)</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/14/tearful-garma-stops-exit-of-drug-war-victims-families-to-apologize-1439" id="isPasted">Tearful Garma stops exit of drug war victims&#x27; families to apologize</a></div><p>Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel, meanwhile, reminded senators that congressional investigations should not be used to shield those involved in what he called a &quot;fake war on drugs”.</p><p>“Ang mga imbestigasyon sa Kamara at Senado ay dapat in aid of legislation, hindi in aid of self-preservation,” Manuel said in a statement.</p><p>(The investigations at the House and Senate should be in aid of legislation, not in aid of self-preservation) </p><div><strong>&#x27;FOLLOW THE MONEY&#x27; ON ALLEGED REWARD SYSTEM</strong></div><p>The House quad committee, meanwhile, plans to tap the Anti-Money Laundering Council to track the cash flow in the alleged reward system and see whether intelligence funds from the Office of the President were used for it. </p><p>“Follow the money trail. We&#x27;d like to find out who the mastermind is... We will invite COA, and then of course tatanungin namin ‘yung AMLC tungkol sa paglipat-lipat ng perang ‘yan- kung saan nanggaling iyan, kung saan napunta iyan, kung sino ang nag-spend niyan,” Abante said.</p><p>(Of course we will ask AMLC about the transfer of funds — where did it come from? Where did it go? Who spent it?)</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/14/de-lima-inclined-to-sue-dela-rosa-over-drug-trade-frame-up-1124">De Lima &#x27;inclined&#x27; to sue Dela Rosa over alleged drug trade frame-up<br/></a></div><p>He added that the mega-panel will also invite representatives from banks where the money for the alleged “reward system” passed.</p><p>Former Police Col. Royina Garma testified in the panel&#x27;s investigation last week  that the reward ranges from P20,000 to P1 million.</p><p>Garma&#x27;s testimony corroborated the earlier statement of Police Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido on the supposed &quot;quota and reward system&quot; in the war on drugs.</p><p>The quad comm will resume its hearing on October 22.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lXdVLLLJTyQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>“The thing is he became the director general of the Philippine National Police during the time of the former president," Abante said.</p>

“The thing is he became the director general of the Philippine National Police during the time of the former president," Abante said.

Some House members doubt impartiality of Dela Rosa-led probe into Duterte drug war

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Some House members doubt impartiality of Dela Rosa-led probe into Duterte drug war

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 16, 2024 08:07 PM PHT

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