Former Sen. Leila de Lima and former President Rodrigo Duterte 鈥擥rig C. Montegrande/Malaca帽ang file photo
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The House Committee on Human Rights has invited former President Rodrigo Duterte and his former police chief, now Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, to answer questions about their six-year drug war that had left thousands dead.
Also invited as a resource person was former Sen. Leila de Lima, a staunch critic of Duterte鈥檚 bloody antinarcotics campaign, who on Monday was cleared of the last of three illegal drug trading charges filed against her during the previous administration.
By having Duterte and De Lima on its list, the panel is setting the stage for a possible showdown between the political nemeses.
READ: De Lima acquitted in last drug case
The camp of the former justice secretary believes the drug charges against her were filed in retaliation for her criticism of the drug war and her prior investigation of vigilante-style killings by the so-called Davao Death Squad in the former president鈥檚 hometown.
鈥淎s much as I would want to give courtesy to the former president and the senator, because of the gravity of the testimonies of [the families of the victims], Duterte and Dela Rosa] should face these people,鈥� said Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., chair of the House committee.
鈥淢aybe the former president can look into his heart and realize what he has done in his six years,鈥� he added.
Widows, mothers
Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas made the motion to invite Duterte and Dela Rosa to the next hearing after several widows and mothers of drug war victims testified before the panel to recall how the police killed their husbands or sons 鈥� some of them minors 鈥� in cold blood and claimed self-defense later.
After the motion was carried, Brosas broached the idea of inviting De Lima as well, a proposal that was also approved by the body.
The next hearing is on Wednesday, but Duterte, Dela Rosa, and De Lima are to be invited to the hearing after that, according to Abante.
One of the mothers, Raquel Lopez, turned emotional as she recounted how her son Rabby was killed by the Cebu police during a 鈥渙ne-time, big-time drug operation鈥� in October 2018.
The younger Lopez was shot in his room as he slept, then wrapped in his own bedsheet and thrown out of the house 鈥渓ike a slaughtered pig,鈥� his mother said.
鈥淗e had no known (criminal) record whatsoever,鈥� she said in Cebuano. 鈥淚 was so surprised that this happened to him鈥� He was kind.鈥�
The House committee did not state any plans to invite Duterte and Dela Rosa when it opened the inquiry on May 22.
Abante then said the committee鈥檚 goal was merely to 鈥渟eek the truth鈥� and gather 鈥渃omprehensive information鈥� on alleged human rights violations linked to the drug war.
The crackdown left at least 6,000 people dead, based on official government data, but human rights watchdogs said the actual figure could be as high as 20,000 due to underreporting and incomplete or falsified records.
Abante, a pastor-turned-lawmaker, had been noncommittal about inviting Duterte, whose drug war is also under investigation before the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.
鈥楳oral failings鈥�
But over the past two hearings, many of the lawmakers on the panel鈥攊ncluding Abante himself鈥攁dmitted to having a change of heart as they listened to accounts from the families of drug war victims.
Eleanor Llanes, a missionary sister from the Immaculate Heart of Mary, reproached the House panel for launching an inquiry only now, two years after Duterte left office.
鈥淚 am not blaming you, but I think all of us have moral failings by being silent,鈥� she said.
Abante acknowledged her point, saying: 鈥淲e all count this as a rebuke [against us].. .I admit this is also a lapse on my part as a lawmaker. But here we are now, and I promise you we will pursue this to the end.鈥�
During Tuesday鈥檚 hearing, Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong asked human rights lawyers to define 鈥渆xtrajudicial killings鈥� in the context of the drug war.
Kristina Conti, legal counsel for some of the families of drug war victims, said: 鈥淲e would rather look at the victim than the intention. There is a commonality among the victims that could point to a system鈥攖he targets of the killings are the same, whether they are police operations or vigilante killings, they were either on the drug lists or perceived drug addicts.鈥�
In a message to the Inquirer, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, who attended the hearing, said Abante might have changed his mind 鈥渂ecause the committee was able to see the extent of the suffering and trauma that the families of the victims of Duterte鈥檚 fake drug war are still enduring.鈥�
鈥淚t is only the policymaker (Duterte) and its chief implementer (Dela Rosa) who can answer the multitude of queries not just of the committee members but [of] the families of victims as well,鈥� she added.
At the close of the hearing, Adiong tried to comfort the grieving mothers and widows, saying: 鈥淭he truth will remain the truth, whether it is accepted now or in a million years.鈥�
Noynoy Aquiono, Erap, FVR
Should Duterte attend the House hearing, he would not be the first former president to face a congressional inquiry.
In December 2017, former President Benigno Aquino III appeared before the Senate blue ribbon committee as a resource person to explain the government鈥檚 purchase of P3.5 billion worth of the controversial dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, which was administered by the Department of Health to 280,000 students nationwide.
In January 2003, former President Joseph Estrada appeared in the Senate to defend the controversial $450 million Impsa power contract that sought to develop the Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan hydroelectric power plant.
Former President Fidel Ramos also appeared at a congressional hearing in 2006 over his role in the anomalous $561.7-million deal won by a Malaysian firm over the sale of the 600-megawatt Masinloc coal-fired power plant in Zambales province to YNN Pacific Consortium Inc.
In September 2004, Ramos clashed with the late Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, who walked out in anger over the former president鈥檚 鈥渁rrogant鈥� way of answering questions.