Quad comm mulls Davao hearing on EJK

MANILA, Philippines — To bring the legislative inquiry closer to former president Rodrigo Duterte, the House quad committee may hold in Davao City its next hearings on various policies of his administration, including the deadly campaign against illegal drugs, a lawmaker said yesterday.

Although they are giving the former president the courtesy of not compelling him to attend the quad hearings, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said they will again send an invitation to Duterte to be a resource speaker.

“The committee would like to extend to him the opportunity to clear his name or to give information or rebut the
 testimony (of witnesses),” Pimentel said in an interview with “Storycon” on One News.

“We will send another invitation for the former president. The invitation is not in any way that we will accuse him, more of giving him an opportunity to respond and clear his name,” he added.

In case Duterte still declines the invitation, Pimentel said the committee may decide to hold a hearing in Davao City to give the former president a chance to attend without having to travel to Manila.

Pimentel clarified that lawmakers are not accusing the former president of anything, adding that it was some of their witnesses who tagged him in alleged crimes.

Last week, a former warden of the Davao Prison and Penal Farm confirmed receiving a call from Duterte, who supposedly congratulated him after the killing of three Chinese drug lords in 2016.

Corrections Senior Supt. Gerardo Padilla confirmed the earlier testimony of an inmate regarding Duterte’s supposed phone call over the hit on the drug lords.

Appearing at the hearing, Pimentel said, would allow Duterte to respond directly to the allegation.

Although lawmakers may move to cite for contempt those who refuse to appear during hearings, the Surigao congressman ruled out the possibility of doing so for Duterte.

“This is a former president, therefore we should also show some courtesy,” he said.

The same applies to Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, with Pimentel noting inter-parliamentary courtesy for members of Congress.