Quad comm orders Grijaldo's arrest for repeatedly skipping probe

The House quad committee ordered the arrest of Police Colonel Hector Grijaldo on Thursday for skipping, for the fourth consecutive time, its probe into the bloody drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte's administration, citing health reasons.

Grijaldo, who has drawn the ire of the panel for repeatedly snubbing summons, will be detained at the House detention facility until the committee completes its report, likely early next year, and is expected to spend the holidays in detention.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Leonel Garcia of the Philippine National Police General Hospital’s Orthopedic Department informed lawmakers that Grijaldo underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery on 2 December and began physiotherapy the following day.

Garcia presumed Grijaldo still has an underlying medical condition, but he said that he is not physically incapacitated to attend the congressional hearing.

Grijaldo reportedly suffered from shoulder pain due to rotator cuff syndrome and was confined in a private hospital in Pasig City. Lawmakers, however, questioned the timing of his medical condition and dismissed his alibi.

"Mr. Chair, I think we have given Colonel Hector Grijaldo enough leeway. We have been very kind to him so I think it's right time to make the appropriate motion. He is already overdoing it. This is, I believe his fourth time skipping the quad comm but in the Senate, he did not have rotator cuff syndrome. I'm sorry but I believe it's high time, with the indulgence of all the chairmen, that I move to Colonel Hector Grijaldo in contempt,” said Taguig Rep. Amparo Maria “Pammy” Zamora, which panel chair Ace Barbers approved.

“We’re really serious here. This is an affront to the committee that he only makes excuses to avoid being here. Yet, in other committees, he shows up,” Bukidnon Rep. Keith Flores chimed in.

According to PCol. Rowena Acosta, Grijaldo currently has an ongoing administrative case for neglect of duty for skipping the quad comm’s inquiry on 7 and 26 November. 

“In fact, when he was absent during the tenth joint public hearing, our office issued a notice to explaine to Police Colonel Hector Grijaldo. [In] November 26, the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management informed us that they are currently conducting a pre-charge investigation and admin case of neglect of duty to Police Colonel Hector,” she the panel. 

Lawmakers are highly suspicious that Grijaldo is merely attempting to evade the congressional probe after implicating Santa Rosa Rep. Dan Fernandez and Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr.—both quad comm co-chair—of coercing him into corroborating the so-called monetary rewards given to police in exchange for killing drug suspects under Duterte’s war on drugs. 

He made the allegations under oath during the parallel probe of the Senate into the EJK in October.

Grijaldo accused Abante of convincing him to do their bidding by implying that he could get a promotion to police general. He told senators that he felt “insulted” and “corrupted” by the conversation he had with the two House lawmakers but he refused to be influenced by them.

Fernandez and Abante have repeatedly denied the accusations, asserting that their actions were based on retired Police Colonel Royina Garma’s recommendation to meet with Grijaldo, citing his supposed knowledge of the alleged cash reward system.

Garma, a former trusted aide of Duterte and alleged member of the Davao Death Squad, testified before the quad comm that anti-narcotics operations under the previous administration involved payouts ranging from P20,000 to P1 million, depending on the prominence of the target.

Earlier, Fernandez and Abante announced they were willing to relinquish their chairmanship to ensure impartiality in the quad comm’s discussion on the allegations made by Grijaldo before the Senate.

Fernandez and Abante previously announced their willingness to relinquish their chairmanships to ensure impartiality in the quad comm’s proceedings regarding Grijaldo’s allegations.

The two lawmakers described Grijaldo’s testimony as a desperate attempt to discredit the quad comm, which has been rigorously investigating the controversial drug war that claimed more than 7,000 lives, according to government data.

Local and international human rights groups estimate the death toll to be far higher, possibly exceeding 30,000, predominantly affecting low-income families and communities.