Barbers denies shifting stance on drug war for political ambition

Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Barbers, a key figure in the ongoing probe into the Duterte administration's brutal drug war, dismissed as "stupid" allegations that he changed his stance on the highly contentious issue as part of his "ambition" to be part of the current Cabinet.

Barbers, whose term in Congress is set to end in 2025, was a known supporter of the Dutertes and their patriarch, former president Rodrigo Duterte, as well as his notorious war on drugs campaign.

His role as lead chairperson of the House quad committee investigating the previous admin's anti-drug campaign—which he previously vehemently supported—is currently being used politically against him, with some speculating he has aspirations to head the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The seasoned lawmaker, who also chairs the House committee on dangerous drugs, asserted that he is a staunch supporter of the previous and current governments' fight against drugs, and that it has nothing to do with his political ambitions. 

"Just because I condemn the killings, does that mean I change my stance on the war on drugs of Duterte? No. Those who will believe that I have changed my stance are nothing but peabrain individuals," Barbers told the Daily Tribune. 

"I've never, nor did I ever say, that Duterte was guilty. I haven't said anything yet. That's why we're investigating," he added. 

While Barbers vehemently condemns "the extrajudicial killings in the guise of the war on drugs," he maintained that the quad comm would not submit its findings to the International Criminal Court, which is also probing the alleged crime against humanity committed by Duterte's police. 

The mega-panel is expected to release its partial committee report on the drug war next week, with a recommendation of filing criminal charges against those responsible for the killings of drug suspects, including high-profile personalities and politicians.

Barbers stated that the quad comm, however, has yet to decide whether it will include the testimony of retired police colonel Royina Garma, who implicated Duterte in ordering the police to mimic the so-called "Davao model"—a system that allegedly rewarded police for killing drug suspects with payments as high as P1 million—on a national scale. 

According to Garma, an assembly was held in May 2016, a month before Duterte took office, to discuss the creation of a task force that would implement the nationwide killings.

She claimed that the monetary rewards for drug-related killings ranged from P20,000 to P1 million, depending on the prominence of the target.

Duterte'ses long-time allies—Senators Ronald De la Rosa and Christopher "Bong" Go—denied Garma's allegations.

In 2016, Duterte admitted the existence of EJK but contended that they were not state-sponsored. 

The Barbers-led panel also stated earlier this week that it would look into whether the Duterte administration tapped intelligence funds to finance the so-called cash reward system that paid police for killing drug suspects.

The government lodged more than 7,000 deaths under Duterte's notorious drug war.

Local and international human rights organizations, however, estimated that the death toll exceeded 30,000, affecting predominantly low-income families and communities.