Sen. Christopher Lawrence 鈥淏ong鈥� Go (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Sen. Christopher Lawrence 鈥淏ong鈥� Go, former aide of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, mulls filing a resolution to kickstart the Senate investigation into the Duterte administration鈥檚 drug war.
Go said he is 鈥渧ery much willing鈥� to initiate a parallel probe in the Senate if there is a need for it.
鈥淜ung kakailanganin po para magkaroon tayo ng parallel investigation dito sa Senado para malaman po natin ang katotohanan. Para malaman natin kung ano lang 鈥榶ung totoo at 聽ano po ang naidulot nito sa ating mga kababayan鈥� Go told reporters in an ambush interview on Monday.
(If it is necessary to conduct a parallel probe in the Senate to know the truth and what it caused our citizens.)
During the House of Representatives鈥� Quad Committee hearing last Friday, Oct. 11, retired police colonel Royina Garma said Go allegedly coordinated with National Police Commission Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo in setting up a system to give police officers cash incentives for every drug suspect in the drug list killed.
Garma also said Go was working with his aide Irmina Espino, who is also known as 鈥淢uking,鈥� in the financial operations related to the drug war.
Following Garma鈥檚 testimony, the quad panel summoned Espino to its next hearing on the drug war.
READ: Bong Go鈥檚 aide summoned to next House hearing on drug war
Go belied Garma鈥檚 accusations.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not true. Like I said, there was no reward system. So these staff, their job is related to administrative matters, presidential engagement, schedules, and appointments. I pity these Filipinos who are also only ordinary staff for they are being dragged into these baseless accusations and hearsay,鈥� he said in Filipino.
READ: Bong Go denies involvement in drug war, rewards system
According to Go, Espino used to work at the Office of the President.
He also said he is willing to attend the House quad panel鈥檚 next hearing.
鈥淚 played no role because the operations on the war on drugs were not my mandate. I am not involved because it was not my mandate. My job used to be in line with executive orders, engagements of the president, and I admit there were times that the president called me to arrange some meetings, but not in the operations of war on drugs. I am not involved,鈥� he added.
As of February 2022, data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency showed that the number of drug suspects killed in the Duterte administration鈥檚 war on drugs climbed to 6,235.
READ: Total drug war deaths at 6,235 as of February 2022, says PDEA