Barbers: Quadcomm report out before Yuletide break

The House Quad Committee (Quadcomm) is set to release its initial findings before Congress adjourns for the holiday break next week.

Panel chairperson Ace Barbers announced on Sunday that the report’s release would allow criminal cases to be filed against those implicated in their probe on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), narcotics trade and extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the Duterte administration.

“We have a recommendation based on testimonial and documentary evidence. It’s high time we report this and allow the appropriate agencies to conduct further investigations on EJKs, POGOs and drugs,” Barbers said.

The committee plans to present the report to the plenary by 18 December, seeking support from the House supermajority. The goal is to encourage President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to include the proposed bills in his legislative priorities.

“We hope these outputs from the quad committee will be part of the President’s legislative agenda. If we’re fortunate, perhaps these bills will be certified as urgent so the Senate can also act on them,” Barbers said.

The committee has filed at least four bills addressing issues related to POGOs, illegal drugs and EJKs. These include a proposal to ban all forms of POGOs, impose penalties of up to P10 million on violators, expedite the cancellation of fraudulent birth certificates, and forfeit real estate illegally acquired by foreign nationals, particularly Chinese citizens. Another measure seeks to impose maximum penalties on those guilty of committing EJKs.

Investigations revealed that thousands of Chinese nationals had acquired Filipino citizenship using fake documents to evade immigration laws and engage in illicit activities. Some of these individuals established corporations and purchased properties, including a warehouse in Mexico, Pampanga, where P3.5 billion worth of shabu was seized in September 2022.

Barbers previously disclosed that Chinese nationals owned 55 percent of the firm involved, violating the constitutional 60-40 equity rule.

The committee also uncovered details of an alleged payout scheme during Duterte’s war on drugs. Police officers were allegedly paid up to P1 million to kill drug suspects, following a “Davao template” developed during Duterte’s tenure as Davao City mayor.

Former President Duterte admitted in past congressional hearings that he encouraged police to provoke drug suspects into resisting arrest, providing justification for lethal action.

Despite this, Duterte maintained that police should be exempt from liability, asserting he was solely responsible for the killings under his administration’s war on drugs.