The powerful House Quad Committee, known for its high-profile investigation into former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody legacy, is on the verge of dissolution following the departure of its four top leaders, who were either voted out of office or stepped down due to term limits.
Two of the committee’s co-chairs—Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. and Sta. Rosa Rep. Dan Fernandez—lost their respective races in the 12 May elections.
Abante was narrowly defeated in his reelection bid by challenger Joey Uy, garnering 63,358 votes to Uy’s 64,746.
Fernandez, who ran for Laguna governor, came in third with 280,478 votes—far behind winner Sol Aragones, who secured 627,034 votes.
Abante was seen as the Quad Committee’s last hope for continuing its sweeping investigations into key issues linked to the Duterte administration—including alleged Chinese-backed land grabbing, POGO operations, police abuse, and human rights violations tied to the war on drugs.
Lead committee chair Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert “Ace” Barbers is also stepping down after serving three terms in the House, along with fellow co-chair Abang Lingkod Rep. Stephen “Caraps” Paduano, who has likewise reached the term limit.
Fernandez’s exit was supposed to be cushioned by the candidacy of his son, Danzel Fernandez, but the younger Fernandez also lost, failing to secure a congressional seat.
Of the original four co-chairs, only Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop—currently the senior vice chair—is returning in the 20th Congress.
Acop ran unopposed and secured 131,925 votes. He now finds himself at a pivotal juncture—potentially next in line to lead the committee, if the next House leadership decides to retain the panel and pursue its pending investigations.
The Quad Committee was formed in August 2024 as a joint effort of four major House panels: Dangerous Drugs, Human Rights, Public Order and Safety, and Public Accounts. Chaired by Barbers, Abante, Fernandez, and Paduano, respectively, the committee was tasked with probing overlapping issues such as Chinese-linked drug smuggling, POGO operations, systemic police abuse, and widespread corruption that allegedly flourished under Duterte’s watch.
In December, the committee shook the political landscape when it recommended criminal charges against Duterte himself, as well as his close allies—Senators Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go—over their alleged roles in the bloody drug war and other irregularities.
With its top leaders now exiting, the future of the Quad Committee hangs in the balance—along with its unfinished business of holding some of the country’s most powerful figures to account.