HOUSE QUAD COMMITTEE ENDORSES CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY VS DUTERTE, SENATORS GO, ‘BATO’

THE House Quad Committee on Wednesday recommended the filing of crimes against humanity charges against former President Rodrigo Duterte, Senators Christopher Lawrence Go and Ronald Dela Rosa and other police officials in connection with the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the previous administration’s drug war.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairman of the committee, presented the 43-page progress report, which outlined the evidence, testimonies, and legislative recommendations based on the panel’s 13 hearings into the EJKs, illegal drugs, and illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).

The Quadcom report was adopted by the House of Representatives during the plenary session.

Barbers said the charges would be pursued under Section 6 of Republic Act 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity.

According to the Surigao solon, other officials named include former Philippine National Police (PNP) chiefs Oscar David Albayalde and Debold Sinas, Police Colonels Royina Garma and Edilberto Leonardo, as well as Palace aide Herminia “Muking” Espino.

Barbers said Duterte admitted key elements of his administration’s drug war during a Nov. 13 hearing, which include the existence of the so-called Davao Death Squad and the Davao template of reward system for police officers involved in EJKs.

He said Duterte also assumed “full legal responsibility” for the bloody war against illegal drugs.

“The former President unequivocally confirmed the existence of the reward system targeting drug personalities and using leftover campaign funds to finance and support the reward system, in contravention of Comelec rules concerning the return of excess campaign funds,” Barbers said.

The report also criticized Duterte’s inflated claims about drug users to justify the systematic killings that occurred, noting his pronouncement of “four million drug users” lacked basis.

The report said that based on the  Dangerous Drugs Board study, the previous administration’s drug war resulted only in a slight decline in the number of drug users in the country.

“At the start of his term, Duterte pronounced that there were four million drugs users. That figure did not come from the DDB or any other known source,” the Quadcom report said.

Former Senator Leila De Lima, who served as a resource person during quadcom hearings, said Republic Act 9851 is clear that “systematic killings under the drug war are crimes against humanity.”

Ex-PNP officer Royina Garma revealed during a hearing the details of the so-called “Davao Model,” which allegedly rewarded police officers for their involvement in EJKs.