House to push for 15 bills that stemmed from Pogo, drug war probe
Lawmakers from the House of Representatives hold the third hearing of the quad committee on August 28, 2024. The panel was tasked to probe the possible correlation between illegal activities in Philippine offshore gambling operators, the illegal drug trade, and possible human rights violations in the drug war. (Photo from the House of Representatives Media Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives quad committee will push for the passage of 15 bills that stemmed from its inquiry on Philippine offshore gambling operators (Pogos) and the Duterte administration’s drug war.
“All I can say is that in this report that we will submit, we have, more or less, around 15 new remedial laws,” panel chair and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said in a chance interview on Tuesday.
“We will push for the passage of 15 bills, which were products of the 12 hearings of the quad comm,” he added.
READ: House to recommend filing raps vs people linked to drugs, Pogos
In an earlier statement, Barbers said that of the 15 bills that panel members have introduced, four remedial measures seek to amend Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Article continues after this advertisementHe also said the panel would recommend the filing of complaints against at least 10 individuals linked to illegal drug trade, Pogos, and extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration.
For the mega panel’s next hearing, Barbers said they will no longer invite Duterte because the previous statements of the former chief executive were already sufficient for their probe.
