The House quad committee has offered to cover the expenses, including airfare and accommodation of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his entourage just to personally attend its probe into the so-called extrajudicial killings (EJK) of his bloody drug war on Wednesday.
Panel chairperson Ace Barbers along with his co-chairs and other House leaders would “chip in” to remove any financial barriers Duterte cited as grounds for skipping the panel’s hearing on 7 November.
“If finances are truly an issue, we’re ready to cover his travel and accommodations ourselves. This is about the people’s right to know the truth about alleged abuses in his administration’s anti-drug operations,” Barbers said.
Duterte for the nth time was a no-show at the Quadcom last week despite a previous assurance that he would address the allegations this month.
In a letter submitted to the panel, Duterte’s legal counsel explained that the former president’s “presence is no longer necessary,” citing that he already attended a parallel Senate investigation on EJK in late October.