Former president Rodrigo Duterte will not attend the House Quad Committee’s (QuadComm) October 22 hearing on alleged extrajudicial killings in his war on drugs.
“Considering his advanced age and the several engagements he had to attend, he is currently not feeling well and is in need of much rest,” Duterte counsel Martin Delgra III said in a letter addressed to quad committee co-chair Rep. Ace Barbers.
“Rest assured of my client’s willingness to appear before the House of Representatives on some other available date, preferably after 01 November 2024,” he added.
Barbers invited Duterte through a letter dated October 18 for the hearing that is set on October 22, Tuesday. The hearing will start at 9:30 a.m.
“Unfortunately, despite his keen intention to attend, my client respectfully manifests that he cannot attend the public hearing set on 22 October 2024. Aside from the short notice given him, my client just arrived in Davao from Metro Manila last 17 October 2024,” Delgra III wrote.
Duterte previously expressed openness to attend the Quad Comm hearing, hoping lawmakers would ask “educated questions”.
Former presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo on Sunday said Duterte expressed intent to present himself in the House QuadComm hearing if he received an invitation.
Retired police colonel and ex-general manager of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Royina Garma earlier said Duterte asked her to look for an officer who would implement the Davao model of the war on drugs on a national scale.
This system allegedly involves rewards up to P1 million for killing drug suspects.
Duterte however denied that a reward system was implemented during his administration’s controversial campaign against illegal drugs.
Government records show that there were at least 6,200 drug suspects killed in police operations from June 2016 to November 2021, but several human rights groups have refuted this and say that the number may have reached as much as 30,000 due to unreported related killings.
- Bea Alonzo denies pregnancy rumors: ‘Glowing, not expecting’
- Sorsogon Sets Guinness World Record for World’s Largest Nut Brittle
- More Pinoys feeling stressed, especially in Metro Manila
- Earthquakes stronger than 6.4 mark new seismic events
- Quick response teams start clearing quake-affected roads in Davao
THINKED TV 
Leave a comment