Dear Editor,

Why overdo things?

No additional evidence is needed where the evidence is overwhelming and open to convict (in court and elsewhere) a person who even admitted guilt of what he is accused of.

The former president’s publicly known “revelations” at the hearings made everyone in the halls of Congress appear like comic priests and bishops in the confession booth. Jokey.

The House of Representatives’ Quad Committee investigation on the “drug war” yesterday and of the Senate last 28 October were futile and funny, counterproductive and zany, though the rest of their past hearings on the same topic were fruitful.

For what purpose was the appearance of Mr. Rodrigo Duterte in the ongoing hearings of both houses of Congress when Duterte himself has been persistently and repeatedly transparent, frank, categorical, sincere and remorseless about what he did and his intentions (up to now) vis-a-vis his deadly drug war?

Duterte has effectively made a mockery of them, our legislators, who are equally sincere but equally sincerely wrong as well, together with their respective honorable chambers. They have virtually given Duterte free airtime and his own show/program at no cost, with the latter as the lead actor. Who then is crazier? Needless hullabaloo.

While the Quadcomm and the Senate had made some good headway in the past in their investigations of the “drug war,” especially with the bombshells of the new key witnesses like Royina Garma who can serve as a star witness, the committee hearings are now looking more and more like characters in comedic flicks (or a circus) and our legislators more and more like comedians (or clowns) — with Duterte as their invited hesitant, reluctant “resource person.”

Did these committees aim to beat Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richard in their blockbuster opening of “Hello, Love, Again” on the same day yesterday? Marahil ay tinatawanan lang po ni Digong ang ating mga mambabatas. Pero sa totoo lang, lahat po sila ngayon ay katawa tawa na, kasama ng “nililitis” nila. (Digong was just laughing at our lawmakers. Truth be told, all of them were laughable.)

The “drug war” was no war on drugs. Crystal clear. It was a war on the poor and small people — victims of society and government ruthlessness, madness and crookedness. Alas, they made the victims, victims twice over as they made themselves hellish.

Give Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his “drug war” implementors and cohorts the process they denied their victims — due process.

But get the ball rolling, and have it rolling quickly and seriously, fast and furious, dear International Criminal Court and Philippine courts. Work together as one — to render justice to one all and the motherland. Only then will the government make sense of everything that is fast becoming exceedingly funny (and grievous).

What are you waiting for, dear BBM? The whole world had already rendered its judgment years ago, yet you, your officials and your administration seem to have yet to make the first move by “gathering evidence.”

“The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.” — Proverbs 29:7

Reni M. Valenzuela

renivalenzuelaletters@yahoo.com