Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte answers questions during a Senate probe, Sept. 7, 2017.  George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File  

MANILA – The House Quad Committee said Thursday it would invite Davao City First District Rep. Paolo Duterte to its next hearing, after it received his letter expressing intent to raise questions.

During the first Quad Comm hearing, Duterte was implicated by former Customs Intelligence Office Jimmy Guban in an illegal drug smuggling incident in 2018. Duterte had denied Guban’s allegations.

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“We have received a copy of letter coming from Hon. Paolo Duterte with regard to some queries, addressed to quad committee chairmen,” House Committee on Public Accounts Chairperson Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano said on Thursday.

“The letter states that there are questions that the Hon. Paolo Duterte wishes to ask the resource persons. May we just ask the committee secretary to please make sure that the invitation will be extended to Paolo Duterte in the next Quad Comm hearing with the topic on drugs and extrajudicial killings,” House Quad Comm Lead Co-Chair Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said. 

Duterte earlier said he did not know Guban. 

“Wala kaming anumang transaction o ugnayan kaya walang rason na siya ay pagbantaan kung babanggitin man niya ang pangalan ko,” said the Davao congressman.

“Nais ko pong ipaalala sa taumbayan na ang salitang ‘star witness’ ay humahalimbawa lamang sa mga taong nagsasalita ng katotohanan lamang at may kredibilidad.”

"Hindi po si Jimmy Guban ang taong yan sapagkat siya po ay na i-contempt na ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committee dahil sa kanyang pagsisinungaling. Klaro po na walang kredibilidad ang taong yan at walang basehan ang kanyang mga sinasabi noon pa man, kaya di ko po alam kung bakit bigla po siyang naging star witness dito,” he added.

The House Quad Committee is investigating narcotics, illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations, and the alleged extrajudicial killings under the drug war of Rep. Duterte's father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Vice President Sara Duterte has alleged that Guban's claims before the joint panel, which linked her brother Rep. Duterte and her husband Atty. Manases Carpio to illegal drug smuggling, was “political harassment”. 

Lawmakers said the Dutertes have nothing to fear in the probe if they have nothing to hide, adding that they will not be derailed by claims of political harassment. 

'Dutertes have nothing to fear in House probe if they have nothing to hide'