MANILA, Philippines — If invited, former president Rodrigo Duterte will attend the House of Representatives quad committee hearings on extrajudicial killings.
“Hindi ako aatras diyan. Sasagutin ko silang lahat at marami akong sasabihin sa taong bayan (I will not step back, I will answer them and I have a lot to tell the nation),” Duterte told his former legal adviser Salvador Panelo in the latter’s Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa program on Thursday.
“There’s still no invitation, but I would be happy to attend. It’s an institution of government. They might want me to clarify, answer, or whatever... I am ready for that,” the former president said.
Key Duterte officials who had been summoned to the quad comm hearings include retired police colonel and fomer Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Royina Garma and police Lt. Col Jovie Espenido, who testified that there was a scheme of payouts to those who killed drug suspects.
Duterte challenged the quad comm to summon him as he is ready to answer queries.
“There are many persons called and about to be called... If it’s all about me, then they just have to call me and I will give them the answer they want to hear, and not what I want to hear,” Duterte said.
“I will ask them at the beginning of the proceedings. ‘What do you want to come out of my mouth?’ I will give it to them,” he said.
He, however, denied that there was a reward scheme for drug offenders killed.
“Why would they accept that kind of agreement when it would later on bring their downfall?” Duterte said.
The former president explained that what he gave out was operational fund. “No reward. I didn’t give reward,” he said.
Duterte said if they accomplished a mission, he would just take them out to a restaurant and treat them to a meal and congratulate them.
He also said that he never ordered drug suspects killed.
“Find them, arrest them, give them to me. But if they fight back and if you see yourselves in danger, kill them. I don’t want to see my policemen getting killed. That’s really my order,” he said in Filipino and English.
“Give them a chance to fight, if they fight, you would be justified in killing them,” Duterte added.
The former president also said he is not surprised that those who used to work under him are now testifying against him.
“That is what life is all about – temporary alliances, friendships that are fragile, friendships that are founded on shaky grounds... There are so many kinds of friendships. it does not really surprise me, these things…,” he said.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, meanwhile, said she is not looking forward to confronting Duterte if a Senate investigation on EJKs pushes through.
“I am not excited at all,” Hontiveros said at a virtual press briefing yesterday. “For me, Duterte is the epitome of extrajudicial killings, of the war on drugs.” — Marc Jason Cayabyab