LIVE: 9th House Quad Committee hearing on illegal drug trade crimes
MANILA, Philippines (Updated Oct. 28, 2024; 9:34 a.m.)— The Quad Committee of the House of Representatives, composed of the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts resumed its joint inquiry into the extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration's drug war on Tuesday, October 22.
The mega-panel, led by Committee on Dangerous Drugs chair Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (Surigao del Norte, 2nd District) with fellow members Committee on Public Accounts chair Joseph Stephen “Caraps” Paduano, Committee on Public Order and Safety chair Dan Fernandez, and Committee on Human Rights chair Bienvenido Abante, are also probing the connection of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and the illegal drug trade.
They are also joined by Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker David “Jay-jay” Suarez and Committee on Transportation chair Romeo Acop.
During the last hearing on October 11, self-confessed drug lord Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa attended the hearing for the first time and alleged that former Philippine National Police chief and now Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa asked him to implicate former Sen. Leila de Lima, Peter Lim and other personalities in the illegal drugs operations.
Espinosa said he complied out of fear for his and his family's safety. He claimed that Dela Rosa warned him that if he did not follow the plan, he and his family would share the same fate as his father, former Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., who was killed inside the Baybay City Provincial Jail in an alleged shootout with Criminal Investigation and Detection Group personnel.
Espinosa said he obliged fearing for his and his family's safety. He said Dela Rosa warned him that if he did not follow the plan, he and his family would share the same fate as his father, former Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. Espinosa Sr. who was killed inside the Baybay City Provincial Jail in an alleged shootout with Criminal Investigation and Detection Group personnel.
Former PCSO general manager and CIDG officer Royina Garma also implicated Duterte, saying the former president ordered her to implement the Davao model on a national scale.
Garma described the Davao model as a three-tier payment and rewards system. This involves being rewarded if the suspect is killed, getting funding for planned operations and refund of operational expenses.
She also named Edilberto Leonardo as the person who fit Duterte's criteria for the Davao model. Leonardo was later on directed to “organize a task force similar to the PAOCTF.”
The former PCSO official said that Leonardo routed through then-Presidential Adviser and now-Sen. Bong Go the proposal for the operations of said task force encompassing Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Leonardo was later appointed CIDG chief for Region 11.
Garma later apologized to the families of those who were killed in the bloody drug war of the Duterte administration, saying she could not control the operations.
The family members were also present to tell their stories to the panel.
Meanwhile, Quad Comm cited Mylah Roque, wife of former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in contempt and ordered arrested for her failure to attend the committee hearings.
For the ninth hearing, Duterte was invited by the panel. However, the former president, through his legal counsel Martin Delgra, responded in a letter saying that his client is "currently not feeling well" and will only be joining the hearing after November 1.
The Quad Comm is set to resume discussing extrajudicial killings, with Tokhang survivors among the witnesses expected to attend today's hearing.
Watch the hearing live on Oct. 22, 2024.
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