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House of Representatives invites former President Duterte again to face investigation into drug war killings

The four joint committees of the House of Representatives plan to re-invite former President Rodrigo Duterte to their hearing on the alleged extrajudicial killings during his administration's war on illegal drugs.

This came after former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog said his name was included on the drug list because he did not support Duterte in the 2016 elections.

Mabilog also claimed that then PNP chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa ordered him to Camp Crame, which could put his life in danger.

“We are trying to invite the former president to appear before the committee to hear his response to these allegations,” Manila Rep. Benny Abante, co-chair of the House Quad Committee, said in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday.

“Since he has been accused by some of our witnesses, I think he is the only one who can actually clear his name,” he added.

Abante reiterated that the House of Representatives will be courteous to the former president and will not cite him for contempt of court or issue a restraining order should he refuse to attend the House hearing.

Duterte and Dela Rosa had previously been invited to participate in the House of Representatives' investigation into the drug war, but both declined to appear.

Abante said the House Joint Committee on Drugs (Quadcom) was convinced that Mabilog was not involved in illegal drugs and that the person who framed the former mayor must be brought to justice.

The lawmaker added that Duterte was invited to find out who was behind the extrajudicial killings during the previous administration's war on drugs.

“We do not consider him a perpetrator or an accused. We want him (Duterte) to explain to us the current war on drugs, he will tackle the issue, he will not do anything wrong,” Abanted said.

(We do not see him as a perpetrator or as an accused. We want him to explain to us what happened during the war on drugs, in which thousands were killed, died and accused.)

According to human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, more than 20,000 people were killed in the war on drugs, according to the Duterte administration's 2017 year-end report.

GMA News Online has reached out to Duterte's former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea, former speaker Harry Roque and former presidential legal adviser Salvador Panelo, but a response is yet to be received.—Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News

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