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DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 12 November) – Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte will attend the House inquiry on extra-judicial killings (EJKs) being conducted by the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts (Quad Comm) on Wednesday, November 13, former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said.Panelo announced this in a Facebook live on Monday evening, stating that Duterte changed his mind due to the remarks of some congressmen challenging him to attend, particularly Abang Lingkod Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, who said in the hearing last November 7 that the former President might be scared to face the Quad Comm.Panelo stressed that the 79-year-old Duterte, who declined to attend the two previous House inquiries, is unafraid to face the Quad Comm.He warned the House members not to bully the former chief executive but to treat him like a “visitor” and accord him respect because “if they provoke this man, hell might break loose.”“My word of caution to the members of Congress, you invited the former president, you are saying that you are going to give dignity to his office. Do it! Don’t ever commit the mistake of embarrassing the former president, humiliating the former president, assaulting his integrity and reputation, and misleading people about him, and maniwala kayo (believe me), you will be receiving what you are looking for,” Panelo said.In another invitation letter dated November 10, the Quad Comm asked the former president to attend the 11th public hearing “in connection with its inquiry, in aid of legislation” at 9:30 a.m. on November 13 at the People’s Center Building, House of Representatives in Quezon City “to prove valuable insights and shed light on the issues under discussion, particularly on extra-judicial killings.”Panelo accused House members of “using Duterte to prop up their image and win reelection in the May 2025 elections.”He said that Duterte had earlier declined the Quad Comm’s invitation to attend as a “resource speaker” as the former president had already appeared in the investigation that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s Subcommittee on the Philippine War on Illegal Drugs initiated last October 28.According to Panelo, Duterte believed he had already given his testimonies before the Senate inquiry.He added that the other reasons the former president did not attend the previous House inquiry were because “it was costly for the former president to fly to Manila from Davao and that it was a waste of time.”Panelo noted that Duterte also questioned the integrity and credibility of some House members after they allegedly coerced another resource person to make a false testimony.Police Col. Hector Grijaldo testified during the Senate investigation that he was allegedly coerced by Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. and Santa Rosa City Rep. Danilo “Dan” Fernandez to corroborate the affidavit of Royina Garma, a former general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, about the “reward system” of the Duterte administration’s illegal drug campaign.In a letter dated November 5 to Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace S. Barbers, who chairs the Committee on Dangerous Drugs, lawyer Martin B. Delgra III, Duterte’s counsel, said the former president believes that the invitation for him to attend the inquiry to provide valuable insights and shed light on issues involving extra-judicial killings is a “mere political ploy,” casting doubt on the “integrity, independence, and probity” of the Quad Comm to conduct an investigation.Delgra, whom Duterte appointed chairman of Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), received the second invitation from Quad Comm on November 2 to attend the probe scheduled for November 7.It can be recalled that Duterte first declined to attend the hearing last October 22 as he was not feeling well and needed rest after attending several engagements in Metro Manila, but he vowed to attend the House inquiry “on any date after November 1.”Delgra said that Duterte already “extensively discussed and shared his knowledge as to the alleged EJKs” during the nine-hour Senate inquiry and gave valuable inputs “on how to strengthen the war on illegal drugs, a demonizing element and national menace.”Duterte had suggested that the Quad Comm refer to the transcript of stenographic notes of the Senate inquiry for his testimonies “to save the government time and taxpayers’ money” instead of him attending the House public hearing. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
