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House quad comm has 'standing invitation' for Duterte — Barbers

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Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The House quad committee has a standing invitation for former President Rodrigo Duterte to attend its hearings into alleged extrajudicial killings in his administration’s war on drugs, illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators and illegal drugs, <span id="isPasted" style="caret-color:rgb(65, 65, 65);color:rgb(65, 65, 65)"> Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said Wednesday.</span></p><p>Barbers, lead co-chairperson of the quad comm, said he welcomes Duterte’s stated willingness to testify in the joint hearings.</p><p>Duterte said last Sunday that he is open to attending the hearings if invited, adding that he hopes lawmakers will ask him “educated questions.” </p><p>Sen. Ronald &quot;Bato&quot; Dela Rosa has declined to attend the inquiry into the anti-drug campaign he led during the Duterte administration, citing inter-parliamentary courtesy.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/6/duterte-says-he-will-appear-before-house-quad-comm-if-invited-1516">READ: Duterte says he will appear before House quad comm if invited</a></div><p>“Kami ay natutuwa na mayroong ganoong pahayag ang ating dating pangulo… Mayroon tayong existing or standing invitation kay Pangulong Duterte... Siya ay inimbitahan sa pamamagitan ng isang motion ni Congressman Benny Abante at ni Senior Deputy Speaker Dong Gonzales,” Barbers said.</p><p>(We are glad that the former president said that... We have an existing or statnding invitation to President Duterte. He was invited through a motion of Manila 6th District Rep. Benny Abante and Deputy Speaker Dong Gonzales) </p><p>He said that if Duterte attends the hearings, &quot;we will gladly accommodate and be honored by his presence.&quot;</p><p>He said the invitation to Duterte is for him to discuss alleged extrajudicial killings in the war on drugs.</p><p>The quad comm is set to resume its inquiry on Friday and will focus on alleged EJKs. Barbers said the panel already has resource speakers lined up but  Duterte is welcome to attend the succeeding hearings, usually held once a week.</p><p>“Kasi itong ating mga list of invited resource persons for Friday, ito ay nai-set na namin, kung di ako nagkakamali, about a week ago. At marami pa namang mga susunod na pwede natin maimbitahan,” the lawmaker said.</p><p>(The list of resource speakers was set maybe a week ago. But there are future hearings we can invite him to)</p><div><strong>&#x27;QUAD COMM INQUIRY COULD REACH 20TH CONGRESS&#x27;</strong></div><p>Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. shared similar sentiments in a chance interview on Tuesday.</p><p>“’Yung positive intention ng ating dating pangulo na mag-attend sa aming hearing, welcome development sa amin ‘yun,” he said.</p><p>(The positive intention of the former president to attend our hearings is a welcome development for us)</p><p>Abante promised that Duterte “will be accorded the respect for a former president.”</p><p>At a previous hearing, Duterte was implicated in the August 2016 killing of three alleged Chinese drug lords inside the Davao Prison and Penal Farm by its former warden and by a hired hitman.</p><p>Duterte’s former spokespersons dismissed the allegations as political attacks.</p><p>On September 12, Corrections Senior Superintendent Gerardo Padilla confirmed before the quad comm the statement of alleged hitman Leopoldo Tan Jr. that he received a phone call after the killing of the three Chinese inmates, congratulating him for a “job well done”.</p><p>Padilla said the caller’s voice was similar to the voice of then President Duterte.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/12/bucor-exec-recalls-congrats-from-voice-of-rodrigo-duterte-on-deaths-of-3-chinese-inmates-1523">READ: Ex-Davao prison warden links Rodrigo Duterte to killing of 3 Chinese inmates</a></div><p>On Friday, police informant Nelson Mariano is expected to give his testimony regarding the July 2020 killing of then Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Board Secretary Wesley Barayuga.</p><p>Barayuga&#x27;s classmates in Philippine Military Academy Class ’83 as well as rights organization Rise Up Philippines have also been invited.</p><p>Former PCSO General Manager Royina Garma and National Police Commission Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo were previously tagged as the personalities behind the slay by Police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza. They both denied the allegation.</p><p>Abante said the quad comm hearings could extend to the 20th Congress, which would be formed after the 2025 midterm elections</p><p>Barbers said the inquiry could take that long but added not everyone who has volunteered to testify will be accommodated by the quad comm.</p><p>“Dahil ‘yung iba, mukhang gusto lamang magsalita dahil mayroong personal na motibo, o hindi kaya personal na interes ang gusto mangibabaw,” he said.</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/M0OurzUfZ-0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Barbers said that if Duterte attends the hearings, "we will gladly accommodate and be honored by his presence."</p>

Barbers said that if Duterte attends the hearings, "we will gladly accommodate and be honored by his presence."