Former President Rodrigo Duterte is likely to skip tomorrow’s House quad committee hearing, according to Assistant Majority Leader Paolo Ortega. Ortega, a member of the House’s “Young Guns,” suggested Duterte’s legal team might advise him to “play it safe” by not attending, as testifying under oath could expose legal vulnerabilities, not only for him but also for his allies.
The recommendation stems from concerns over the controversial reward system that allegedly incentivized “drug kills” during Duterte’s war on drugs. Ortega believes that Duterte’s team will prefer a “less talk, fewer mistakes” approach to avoid further complications.
The quad committee, which includes the House committees on dangerous drugs, public order, human rights, and public accounts, is investigating extrajudicial killings, illegal drugs, and alleged abuses of power during Duterte’s administration. Former police colonel Royina Garma recently testified that cash incentives were offered to personnel involved in eliminating suspected drug offenders, a practice similar to the Davao Death Squad’s tactics.
With disturbing testimonies linking this reward system to widespread policy, Ortega noted that Garma’s revelations have cast a troubling light on the drug war’s inner workings.
