Sen. Ronald 鈥淏ato鈥� dela Rosa 鈥擲enate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Senate鈥檚 decision to allow resource persons of the drug war probe to talk for over 10 minutes did not escape Senator Ronald 鈥淏ato鈥� dela Rosa鈥檚 attention, saying that this is unlike what the House of Representatives鈥� quad committee did.
During the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on Monday, Dela Rosa delivered another criticism of the quad committee, saying that past and present police officers are not allowed to speak freely at the lower House.
鈥淢r. Chair, I just would like to put on record my observation in this committee hearing that in this committee hearing, our resource persons are given even 10 to 15 minutes, beyond 15 minutes time to speak up,鈥� dela Rosa said.
READ: Cop claims solons pressured him to confirm drug war reward system
鈥淯nlike what happened in the quad comm in the lower House wherein the police asked to be resource persons are pitiful, because they are being told that 鈥榯his question is answerable by yes or no鈥�, yes lang or no lang, no more explanation. But here Mr. Chair we are treating our resource person with dignity and respect,鈥� he added.
Aside from this, Dela Rosa also called out members of the quad committee for supposedly trying to force Police Col. Hector Grijaldo into corroborating the testimony of retired police colonel Royina Garma.
READ: Leonardo: Rewards system existed; validates Garma鈥檚 testimony
鈥淵ou鈥檙e being deprived of your right to explain yourself, that鈥檚 why you were being coached and asked to say, like 鈥榗an you testify here, or to this paragraph?鈥� So that鈥檚 very inappropriate, that鈥檚 very irregular for a lawmaker making an investigation in aid of legislation to make that kind of approach to a resource person where they seem to force the individual,鈥� dela Rosa said.
鈥淚t seems that they have a preconceived goal where they need to hit something, that鈥檚 why they guide your statement. Am I correct?鈥� he asked.
鈥淵es, your Honor,鈥� Grijaldo replied.
READ: Garma says Davao drug war template, rewards system applied in entire PH
According to Dela Rosa, this should be a wake-up call to the Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership to check on their personnel supposedly being berated by House lawmakers.
鈥淪o now, Mr. Chairman, if the Philippine National Police, especially its leadership, is listening鈥� I don鈥檛 know what is their reaction towards the statement of Grijaldo,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 congratulate him for being so courageous enough to speak up for the truth on behalf of all the policemen who are being shamed by the people who should respect them,鈥� he added.
Dela Rosa has not provided an exact example of when quad committee resource persons were supposedly restricted to yes or no answers. However, at the ninth quad committee hearing held last October 22, Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. asked retired police colonel Edilberto Leonardo to answer yes or no to his questions.
The questions were about affidavits issued by former police colonel Royina Garma regarding the rewards system in the drug war and the existence of the Davao Death Squad (DDS).
鈥淭his is my question, and this will only be answerable by yes or no. I am not going to ask any more explanations, Col. Leonardo, just answer yes or no. From the two affidavits of Col. Garma that you read and heard. Do you believe that? Yes or no?鈥� Abante asked.
鈥淵es, Mr. Chair,鈥� Leonardo said.
Abante then clarified if Leonardo believes in the existence of a reward system for police officers who can kill drug suspects in the past administration鈥檚 drug war.
Last October 11, Garma also testified before the quad committee that former president Rodrigo Duterte contacted her in May 2016 about the creation of a task force that can implement the drug war on a national scale, with the 鈥淒avao template鈥� in mind.
The Davao template refers to a rewards system where cops who kill drug suspects and other alleged criminals are given cash grants, ranging from P20,000 to P1 million.