Invitation to attend House Quad Comm inquiry sent to Rody — PNP

The Philippine National Police confirmed that the invitation for former President Rodrigo Duterte to attend the House Quad Committee hearing on alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during his administration has been received.

In a press briefing on Monday at Camp Crame, PNP spokesperson BGen. Jean Fajardo said that the House panel, chaired by Surigao del Norte Representative Robert Ace Barbers, instructed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to ensure the former President or his representative received the invitation.

“Napa-receive na po 'yung invitation po sa ating dating pangulo. I have this picture na napa-receive na po. Confirmed po yun (The invitation has been delivered to the former President. I have this picture of the invitation that has already been received. That is confirmed),” Fajardo told reporters.

According to Fajardo, Duterte’s representative received the invitation last Sunday.

In a letter dated 18 October, Barbers, who chairs the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, invited Duterte to attend the hearing scheduled for 22 October.

The inquiry is set to begin at 9:30 a.m. at the House of Representatives in Batasan Pambansa, Quezon City.

“The Joint Committee respectfully invites you to attend the said inquiry to provide valuable insights and shed light on the issues under discussion, particularly on extra-judicial killings,” the letter read.

Duterte’s name was implicated in the 2016 killings of three convicted Chinese drug lords inside the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in Davao del Norte during the second Quad Comm’s inquiry into EJKs in the war on drugs under his administration.

This development followed testimonies by inmates Leopoldo Tan Jr. and Fernando Magdadaro, who claimed before the panel that law enforcement officers connected to the Duterte administration approached them and ordered the killings inside the prison in exchange for their freedom.

Reports on a reward system among police ranks also surfaced during the hearing.

Duterte has previously denied these allegations, stating that he only rewarded police officers who successfully completed their missions with food and greetings.

The House leadership established the Quadcom, comprising the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Human Rights, Public Order and Safety, and Public Accounts, to conduct separate investigations into EJKs, the illegal drug campaigns, and criminalities involving the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), using the same resource persons and addressing interrelated issues.

Barbers earlier stated that Duterte, as a former President, would be treated with due courtesy should he decline to appear before the House’s joint investigation.