House quad comm recommends filing of charges against Rodrigo Duterte, Ronald dela Rosa, Bong Go
The House quad-committee recommends filing criminal charges against former president Rodrigo Duterte and his allies, Senators Ronald "Bato" de la Rosa and Christopher "Bong" Go, over killings linked to the previous administration's war on drugs.
According to quad committee overall chairman—Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers—Duterte, de la Rosa, and Go are "perpetrators of crimes against humanity under Section 6, Republic Act (RA) No. 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and other Crimes against Humanity."
Dela Rosa was the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief at the start of Duterte's vigorous anti-drugs campaign in 2016, while Go was Duterte's former special assistant.
"The quad-committee likewise recommends the filing of appropriate charges against the following personalities," he said during the plenary session on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Barbers also named former PNP chiefs Oscar Albayalde and Debold Sinas, former PCSO chief Royina Garma, former Napolcom commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, and former Malacañan aide Irmina "Muking" Espino in the recommended charges.
Meanwhile, Manila Rep. Bienvenido M. Abante Jr., chairperson of the House Committee on Human Rights, shared the initial findings and recommendations of the inquiry, particularly with the EJK, during his sponsorship speech.
"After 13 rigorous and thorough hearings of the so-called quad committee, we are confident that we have substantial findings backed by competent evidence to make the requisite recommendations to this legislative body and to the appropriate government agencies for appropriate decisive actions," he said.
Abante added, "There were systematic violations of human rights and blatant disregard of due process. The deep probe into extrajudicial killings that occurred during the administration of former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte's war on drugs yielded a far deeper tragedy into the lives of the Filipino people, rather than protection and preservation thereof."
Abante also questioned Duterte's war on drugs's, saying, "Gusto ba talaga nitong durugin ang mga drug lords at illegal drug industry o durugin lamang ang mga mahihirap upang pagtakpan ang may kinalaman o kaugnayan sa problemang ito."
It was on Wednesday, Nov. 13, when the former president faced the House of Representatives quad committee for the first time to face the probe on the drug war killings under his administration.
The quad comm's probe delves into the extent of Duterte's extrajudicial killings that affected both big names in politics, civilians or the "collateral damage" of his shoot-to-kill order, his alleged Davao Death Squad, and more.
During the session, Duterte asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to hurry the investigation, admitted the personal killing of 6 or 7 criminals before his presidency, confirmed that there was a reward system for the force for their operations, and revealed that he has a plan to raise P1 million to help cops who were affected by the drug war.
