Quad comm hearing on Nov. 21 postponed 鈥� Barbers
MANILA, Philippines — The next hearing of the House of Representatives quad committee, originally scheduled for Thursday, November 21, has been postponed, according to Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers.
Barbers, in a text message to 黑料社 on Monday, said that the next hearing was canceled and will resume the following week.
“Canceled tayo for next week,” Barbers said.
Barbers has not yet given a reason why the hearing was canceled, but in a press briefing earlier, La Union 1st District Rep. Paolo Ortega said that a postponement was being considered due to the impact of recent typhoons on lawmakers whose districts were hard-hit by the recent typhoons.
“Kinonsider po kasi namin na may mga nabagyo na districts. So, lalo diyan po sa South Luzon. So pagbigyan din po natin ng konti iyung mga kasama natin na congressman, lalo iyung mga hard hit na areas, baka may changes lang pero if wala pa pong changes then we will stick with the calendar,” Ortega said.
(We considered that some districts were affected by the typhoons, especially in South Luzon. So, let’s give a little consideration to our fellow congressmen, particularly those from the hard-hit areas. There might be some changes, but if there are no changes, then we will stick to the calendar.)
Article continues after this advertisementThis was not the first time that a quad committee hearing was postponed. Last October 24, Barbers also announced that the quad committee and the House committee on good government and public accountability suspended the hearing so that lawmakers could focus on relief operations in areas hit by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine.
Article continues after this advertisementREAD: 2 House hearings canceled as focus shifts to Kristine, relief ops
Then, last November 12, the quad committee also revealed that they had decided to reschedule their hearing to validate several testimonies from possible witnesses. The hearing however pushed through to maximize the attendance of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The quad committee comprises the committee on dangerous drugs which Barbers heads, the committee on public order and safety, the committee on public accounts, and the committee on human rights.
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The panels have been investigating possible correlations between illegal activities in Philippine offshore gaming operators hubs, the illicit drug trade, and alleged extrajudicial killings in the past administration’s drug war.
