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Senate President Chiz Escudero says Senator Bato dela Rosa, who is regarded as the ‘architect’ of the Duterte drug war, has already agreed that a different committee should handle the investigation
MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said on Thursday, October 17, that the upper chamber’s investigation into former president Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial drug war should not be handled by the committee chaired by Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who was implicated in the campaign during his tenure as police chief.
“Nakausap ko na si Senator Bato kaugnay nyan at sinabi ko sa kanya na anumang imbestigasyon na nais ‘nya patungkol sa kanya mismo at kay Senator [Bong] Go, mas maganda siguro kung hindi sila ang manguna sa komiteng iyon para walang alegasyon na ito ay personal at hindi impartial, hindi fair,” Escudero said when asked to comment’s on Dela Rosa’s plan to conduct a motu propio probe under his committee on public order.
(I have spoken with Senator Bato about that, and I told him that any investigation he wants regarding himself and Senator [Bong] Go would probably be better if they don’t lead that committee to avoid any allegations of it being personal and not impartial or fair.)
The Senate president said that he would meet with Dela Rosa this weekend for a formal discussion on the matter. He noted though that Dela Rosa has already agreed that a different committee should handle the investigation.
“Committee of the whole, option ‘yun pero tinitignan ko rin ang ibang komite na puwedeng maghandle nito maliban sa komite ni Senator Bato. Syempre, may karapatan siya at bahagi sya dun sa pagtalakay at discuss ng bagay na ‘yon,” Escudero said, reacting to Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros’ suggestion that it should be the Senate committee of the whole that should handle the probe.
(Committee of the whole is one option, but I’m also looking at other committees that could handle this aside from Senator Bato’s committee. Of course, he has the right to participate in the discussion and deliberation on that matter.)
On Wednesday, October 16, Dela Rosa told reporters that he would launch his own probe into the drug war because he believes that the Senate would be “more balanced” than the House probe.
At the House probe last week, retired police colonel Royina Garma directly implicated the former president in the extrajudicial killings carried out by the police during his administration. Garma said that Duterte called her to a meeting in May 2016, in which she was told “he needed someone capable of implementing the war on drugs on a national scale, replicating the Davao model.”
Dela Rosa denied the existence of the supposed Davao template. “I have no idea on that. There was none,” he said.
Dela Rosa’s involvement in the drug war has placed him among the accused officials of the Duterte administration facing allegations of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC). He had also confirmed that his office has received communications from the ICC, but admitted that he is ignoring the international body.
The ICC investigation is now at a stage where Prosecutor Karim Khan can request a warrant of arrest, if he hasn’t already done so. On Monday, October 14, Malacañang announced that the Philippines will not return to the ICC, despite calls for the government to submit sworn statements made during the House quadcomm hearings to the tribunal. – Rappler.com
