Filipinos hand Quad Comm 'mandate' to pursue drugs, POGO probes

The House quad committee on Friday vowed that its contentious probe into the notorious bloody war on drugs of the Duterte administration and the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) would continue, bolstered by a recent survey showing that most Filipinos support its preliminary findings.

In a joint statement, the chairmen of the mega-panel, led by Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Barbers, pledged that their battle in pursuit of justice for the victims of the “systemic abuses” will not end until they send the culprits behind bars.

“This is a clear mandate from the people to pursue justice and expose the truth behind these systemic abuses. We will not waver in our mission to hold powerful offenders accountable,” the statement reads.

“This overwhelming support from the Filipino people strengthens our resolve to go after those responsible for these systemic abuses. The people demand justice, and we will not back down,” it added.

A commissioned survey from Pulse Asia showed that 61 percent of Filipino respondents were in favor of the congressional investigation, outpacing those not in favor (11 percent) and the undecided (24 percent).

The study, conducted from 26 November to 3 December last year, also suggests that 37 percent of respondents wanted the panel to pinpoint government officials involved in the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJK), illegal drugs, and illegal POGOs.

Metro Manila had the highest number of supporters, with 73 percent, followed by Balance Luzon with 66 percent and the Visayas with 59 percent. Meanwhile, the Dutertes’ turf, Mindanao, showed the lowest support with 46 percent.

The quad committee in December had already recommended the filing of criminal charges against former president Rodrigo Duterte and his top allies, Senators Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa, who were both highly implicated in the drug war.

The recommendation was part of its progress report following 13 exhaustive hearings into summary killings committed at the height of the Duterte administration’s anti-narcotics campaign.

The panel asserted that Duterte, De la Rosa, Go, former police chiefs Oscar Albayalde and Debold Sinas, along with erstwhile police officers Royina Garma and Edilberto Leonardo, and ex-Palace aide Herminia "Muking" Espino, should be held liable for violating Section 6 of Republic Act 9851, or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity.

Earlier, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said it would study the quad committee’s report with a view to consolidating it with its own collated evidence from its investigation into the bloody campaign.

Subsequently, the DoJ will proceed with the filing of the cases through the National Prosecution Service if the evidence warrants, according to Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres.

More than 7,000 were reported killed under Duterte's war on drugs, based on the government’s data. However, local and international human rights organizations estimate that the actual death toll far exceeds 30,000, predominantly affecting low-income families and communities.

While members of the quad committee are resolute in indicting the culprits, they maintained that they will not submit their report or cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is rigorously investigating the purported crimes against humanity of the Duterte administration.

The Philippines officially cut ties with the Rome Statute in March 2019 pursuant to Duterte’s orders. However, the tribunal asserted that it still retains jurisdiction over any potential crimes against humanity that occurred prior to the country’s withdrawal.

Reports from last year stated that an arrest warrant from the ICC against Duterte is already in the works and that it has proceeded with its probe, particularly as families of the drug war victims and its perpetrators begin to come forward.