Luistro: Testimony shows that the drug war was used to undermine political opponents

Testimony at House Quad Committee hearings show that the Duterte administration has used its drug war to undermine or even eradicate political enemies, Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro said Monday.

The witnesses include former Iloilo mayor Jed Mabilog and police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza of the Philippine National-Police Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-PDEG), as part of QuadComm's ongoing investigation into drug war deaths during the Duterte government testified.

Mabilog said he was forced to link opposition leaders and former senators Manuel “Mar” Roxas and Franklin Drilon to the drug trade or else his life would be in danger.

Mendoza testified that he was ordered by then PCSO Director General Royina Garma and Napolcom Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo to kill Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Board Secretary Wesley Barayuga. Both Barayuga and Garma were also retired police officers.

“Firstly, for a long time we thought that these extrajudicial killings were about drugs. But the investigation has revealed a new context. If you look back at the testimonies, mukhang nagamit ang [it looks like they used] extrajudicial killings [means for] political revenge,” Luistro, a member of QuadComm, told reporters in an online news conference.

“Just because certain people didn't support the former president in his presidential run, they used this war on drugs to target those people. As for Wesley Barayuga's case, he was intentionally included in the narcolist list because he had a problem with Garma [PCSO game] Peryahan ng Bayan. Barayuga wasn't really into narcotics. In fact, Nilagay was the narcolist at the time [he was put on the narcolist when he was already dead]. So it expands the context. The drug war also affects politics and even competition with certain illegal activities among competitors,” she added.

The congresswoman said Mabilog and Mendoza will not be the last to testify before the QuadComm on the matter.

“I have received text messages from people wanting to volunteer to testify, but of course I have to go through that with our chairman first. Our QuadComm colleagues have also received information about key statements and witnesses,” Luistro said.

Panelo answers

Salvador Panelo, chief legal adviser and presidential spokesman during Duterte's term, said lawmakers should not take the witnesses' statements as gospel truth.

“The problem with Cong Luistro is that it takes as gospel truth the statement of Mabilog, who makes an illogical and nonsensical argument that he was placed on the drug list because he did not support the candidacy of President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016.” [Ninety-nine percent] of local government chiefs did not support President Rodrigo Duterte,” Panelo said in a text message to GMA News Online.

“If we follow the logic of Mabilog’s allegations, all of these governors, mayors and barangay captains and other LGU officials would have been included in the drug list. Its inclusion in the list was based on the combined and validated intelligence reports of various law enforcement agencies handed over to PRRD, which in turn made the public announcement,” he added.

Panelo, who did not deal with the Baraguya case, also said that the courts, not lawmakers, are the best judges of witnesses.

“As a lawyer, Congresswoman Luistro should know that only the courts can decide whether the person's statements are true or not. What she should do if she is willing and believes in Mabilog's testimony is to support him in filing the case against those who she believes have committed injustice,” he said.

“Otherwise, she will act politically and may unwittingly participate in the destruction of the former president.”

Former President Rodrigo Duterte and other top officials in his administration are already being investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity over systematic deaths in the drug war during police operations during his term in office. About 6,000 people have died, according to police records, but human rights groups believe the actual number could be as high as 30,000, including vigilante killings due to Duterte's policies.

Mabilog has said he is willing to give evidence in the ICC investigation.

However, the former leader has insisted that the Philippines is not subject to the ICC's jurisdiction due to Manila's unilateral withdrawal from the Rome Statute in March 2019.

Sample to continue

In a separate interview, House QuadComm Chairman Ace Barbers said the House investigation will continue after the candidacy filing Oct. 1-8.

“Even if Congress goes into recess (not in session), Speaker Martin Romualdez’s instruction is to continue with committee hearings,” he said.

“We’ll stick with it and maybe move on to the third or fourth week of October,” Barbers added. — BM, GMA Integrated News