Senate Blue Ribbon panel to probe drug war — Chiz

The Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, also known as the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, will handle the upper chamber’s investigation into the anti-narcotics campaign of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero announced this on Sunday, ending the contention among senators on what committee should lead the investigation that could implicate the former president amid the heightening political rift between the Dutertes and Marcoses.

"The Blue Ribbon Committee will lead that hearing. The chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee is Senator Pia Cayetano, but since she is quite busy during this recess due to her re-election bid, it’s likely that Senator Koko Pimentel will be assigned as the subcommittee chair, so to speak,” Escudero said in a radio interview.

He noted that he had already informed Senators Cayetano and Pimentel about the matter, including Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go, known allies of the former president in the upper chamber.

“I’ve already spoken to them and informed them to coordinate with Senator Bato and Senator Go regarding the witnesses they wish to invite, as well as the schedule for the upcoming hearing,” he said.

Earlier, Dela Rosa, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, expressed his willingness to initiate a motu proprio investigation into the Duterte administration's controversial war on drugs, in which he was personally involved.

His intent to initiate the investigation was widely criticized, given his role as one of the key implementers of the Duterte administration's anti-narcotics campaign while serving as the head of the Philippine National Police.

Dela Rosa revealed his plan to invite Duterte to the public hearing, which would run parallel to the quad-committee-led investigation in the House of Representatives.

Go, Duterte’s former special assistant, filed a resolution to this effect last week.

Escudero explained that the Blue-Ribbon Committee will lead the Senate investigation as it is the only committee that is authorized to conduct motu proprio investigations while Congress is still in recess.

“We had a discussion in the plenary before about the motu proprio power of the committees during our recess that hijacks the referral of the Committee on Rules to the appropriate committee,” he said.

Escudero also floated that another option would be the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, chaired by Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., to take on the probe when Congress resumes its sessions next month.

“Senator Bato agreed with my advice, so I am now consulting our colleagues on the best way and committee to handle this,” Escudero said.

For his part, Pimentel said he would handle the investigation into the war on drugs “professionally,” should the case be referred to his committee.

“If it is referred to the Justice Committee, then I will have to handle it like the professional that I am," he said, about the potential drug war probe.

According to Escudero, he would prefer that the hearing commence during the break so that the Senate could give its full attention to the debates on the 2025 national budget.