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Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante attends the House of Representatives quad committee on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights and Public Accounts holds its hearing at the Villa De Bacolor Convention Center in Bacolor Pampanga on August 16, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

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House Quad Comm moves resumption of hearing to Nov 21

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<span data-darkreader-inline-color="" id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;float:none;--darkreader-inline-color:#e8e6e3;display:inline !important">MANILA — The House Quad Committee moved to next week the resumption of its hearing into the alleged extrajudicial killings in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.House Quad Comm lead co-chairperson Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said the verification of the credibility of individuals volunteering to testify in the hearings prompted the mega-panel to reschedule the November 13 hearing to November 21. “Because of the several witnesses who wanted to give their testimony before the Quad Comm, we decided that we should maybe interview them first. Tingnan namin sino ‘yung mas credible doon and it will take a lot of time para sa amin,” Barbers explained.Despite the cancellation of the Wednesday hearing, former Presidential spokesperson <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/12/duterte-to-question-change-in-date-of-house-quad-comm-hearing-1649">Atty. Salvador Panelo said former president Rodrigo Duterte will go to the House of Representatives to “confront” Quad Comm members </a>over the changes in the hearing schedule allegedly without prior notice.Panelo said Duterte accepted the mega-panel’s invitation for the November 13 hearing, and even came to Manila on Monday night.“(Former) PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) and I will go to Batasang Pambansa tomorrow at 10:00am and confront the Quad Committee members why after demanding his presence and accepting their invitation and coming here last night, they will just cancel it without prior notice,” Panelo said.“He will ask them to schedule a marathon hearing of 10 days,” he added.But Quad Comm leaders said the panel notified Duterte and his counsel, Atty. Martin Delgra III, regarding the hearing schedule on Monday Night. Barbers added that as of Tuesday noon, they have yet to receive formal communication from Duterte’s camp, expressing the former President’s intent to attend the November 13 hearing.<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/8/duterte-to-house-quad-comm-galit-sila-sipain-ko-sila-1644">Duterte to House Quad Comm: &#x27;Galit sila? Sipain ko sila&#x27;</a></div>“Wala pong naduduwag dito. Para malinaw, sa (November) 21 mayroon kaming hearing. Punta ho tayo dito. Pagkatapos ng 21, let us know kung kailan kayo pwede. Because we will schedule another Quad Comm hearing on the date convenient for you, on the date na gusto ninyo,” Barbers said.“I-formalize lahat. Kasi ‘pag sa social media tayo nagsagutan, I think it will not be proper, at maliligaw tayo. ‘Yan, nagpo-pronounce sila that they will be attending. And it’s not even coming from the President… We are governed by the rules of the committee,” Quad Comm Co-Chair Rep. Dan Fernandez added.The House Quad Comm previously sent invitations to Duterte, <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/21/ex-pres-duterte-unwell-won-t-be-able-to-attend-house-probe-2037">but in an October 21 letter, his counsel said the former president was not feeling well</a> and in need of rest. In another letter last November 5, Delgra said Duterte could not attend the November 7 hearing, because he was doubtful of the Quad Comm’s integrity.Some lawmakers also expressed their criticisms against Duterte, saying the statement that he will confront the Quad Comm was just &quot;another publicity stunt&quot;.“Alam niya at pormal siyang na-inform na walang hearing bukas, ngunit nagbabalak pa rin siyang pumunta para magpapansin at manggulo. Isa na namang publicity stunt ito mula sa dating pangulo…  Gusto niyang palabasin na ang House ang umuurong sa imbestigasyon. Gayong siya mismo ang patuloy na umiiwas sa accountability,” Gabriela Party List Rep. Arlene Brosas said.“Nagba-bluff ka ba? Hindi ka namin uurungan,” ACT Teachers Party List Rep. France Castro told Duterte.“Propaganda lang ‘yung ginagawa nila, lalo na ‘yung sinasabing pag-attend sa hearing ng Quad Comm. Talagang nabubudol-budol ‘yung ating mga mamamayan,” House Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Jefferson Khonghun said.Moreover, several lawmakers stated willingness to chip in to cover Duterte’s airfare and accommodation, in order to help eliminate the financial obstacles the former president previously mentioned for skipping the Quad Comm hearings.<div>Garma&#x27;s departure</div>On former police officer Royina Garma’s reported departure from the Philippines, Barbers said he was unaware of it, but the Quad Comm previously notified Garma to attend if she will be needed in succeeding hearings. “We have no idea kung nasa bansa ba o nakaalis na. I have no information… We advised them na kapag kailangan sila ay kailangan mag-attend sila. Pero so far nag-move forward na tayo ng topic. Tapos na tayo doon sa Barayuga case somehow,&quot; he said.&quot;‘Yung witnesses na hinarap sa kasong ‘yan ay nakapagbigay na sila ng salaysay at na-record na ng ating DOJ… If there are any other witness that will come out and again perhaps mention the names of these personalities, then we will have to invite them, so that bigyan din sila ng pagkakataon na magkaharap sila: ‘Yung nag-aakusa at ‘yung inaakusahan,” Barbers added.<div>RELATED VIDEO:</div><div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g8mAT10PR7w?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>

The House Quad Committee moved to next week the resumption of its hearing into the alleged extrajudicial killings in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

The House Quad Committee moved to next week the resumption of its hearing into the alleged extrajudicial killings in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.