LAWYERS’ ADVICE
TO avoid self-incrimination, lawyers of former President Rodrigo Duterte may advise him to skip the House Quad Committee hearing scheduled on Thursday, November 7.
Lawmakers said that testifying under oath could potentially expose not only his own legal vulnerabilities but also those of his close allies, Senators Bato dela Rosa and Bong Go.
This recommendation could stem from concerns about the controversial reward system that allegedly incentivized “drug kills” during the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
House Assistant Majority Leader and La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega, one of the leaders of the Young Guns coalition in the House of Representatives, suggested that Duterte’s attendance at the Quad Comm could lead to further incrimination, not only for himself but also for Dela Rosa and Go, both of whom played significant roles in the administration’s anti-drug campaign, which claimed thousands of lives, including those of innocent civilians and children.
“I believe his legal team might pursue a ‘play it safe’ strategy of ‘less talk, fewer mistakes,’ and they can best achieve this by advising Duterte not to attend the Quad Comm hearing. They’ll only dig themselves deeper if the former president speaks,” Ortega said.
Testimonies from previous Quad Comm hearings have implicated Dela Rosa, who led the Philippine National Police during the drug war, and Go, Duterte’s close confidant, in an alleged incentive scheme that rewarded law enforcement for drug-related killings.
Former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Royina Garma testified about the reward system, claiming that cash incentives were provided to personnel who eliminated suspected drug offenders.
Ortega noted that these revelations shed a disturbing light on the inner workings of the drug war.
“If there was a reward system behind these ‘drug kills,’ this is a serious issue that needs full clarification. If both Sen. Dela Rosa and Sen. Go were involved, then responsibility does not lie solely with Duterte but with those who stood by him in this campaign,” Ortega said.
Ortega also reminded the public that Duterte had previously acknowledged the existence of the so-called “Davao Death Squad,” a vigilante group allegedly responsible for numerous extrajudicial killings in Davao City during Duterte’s tenure as mayor.
Duterte even admitted that Dela Rosa was involved in this squad, raising additional questions about the accountability of officials who were integral to implementing the drug war on a national scale.
