Former President Rodrigo Duterte missed Tuesday’s House quad committee hearing on alleged extrajudicial killings during his administration’s drug war, despite his recent statement that he wouldn’t hesitate to appear before House lawmakers.
During the hearing, a letter from Duterte’s lawyer, Atty. Martin Delgra III, was read, explaining that Duterte was “not feeling well” and “in need of much rest.” However, Delgra assured the committee that Duterte is “willing to appear” at a later date, “preferably after November 1.”
Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, one of the hearing co-chairs, raised questions about Duterte’s absence.
“There is no authority coming from the former President that he will be represented by Atty. Martin Delgra, and at the same time, no medical certificate confirming that indeed the former President will be excused in today’s hearing because of his medical situation,” Paduano said.
Previously, the quad committee had required former Pag-IBIG Fund trustee Mylah Roque—the wife of former Duterte spokesperson Harry Roque—to submit a medical certificate for missing a hearing. When she didn’t provide one, she was cited in contempt.
Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, however, asked his colleagues to show some “courtesy” to Duterte and not demand a medical certificate.
“As we all know, the former President is already old and has been experiencing, based on media reports, has been sick lately, and actually had his medical check-up, I believe. In deference to the former President, I think we should afford him the courtesy that is due to him, by not requiring him to submit to this committee a medical certificate,” Barbers said.
Paduano initially disagreed, emphasizing, “We have our rules.”
“We all know he has reached that age of a fragile age. Therefore, maybe we can grant that exception to the former President,” Barbers replied, urging leniency for Duterte’s absence.
After a short suspension and discussions among House members, Paduano finally agreed to the request, though he noted the need for documentation of Delgra’s authority to represent Duterte at future hearings.
Rep. Barbers suggested that the issue might have been “an oversight” on Delgra’s part and that the lawyer should attend the next session to officially represent Duterte.
Meanwhile, another lawmaker questioned if the committee was giving Duterte “special treatment.”
“Are we giving special treatment to a witness just because he is the former President?” asked Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr.
Rep. Barbers argued that it wasn’t special treatment but rather a sign of respect, urging the committee to “extend a little bit of the courtesy due to him.”
Santa Rosa, Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez pointed out that House rules only allow two postponements without “justifiable cause.”
He added, “We have to apply the rules of this committee to all or to none at all.”
ACT Teachers Party List Rep. France Castro also criticized Duterte, calling him a “pusit,” or squid—a term she has previously used for his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, describing it as a tactic to avoid accountability.
“Parang nagagayahan lang ang mag-amang Duterte. Ang daming sinasabi ‘pag hindi under oath o wala sa tamang lugar. Pero kapag pinatawag na sa pormal na pagdinig, nag-uugaling pusit na pareho at ang daming rason para huwag dumalo at sagutin ang mga katanungan natin,” Castro said.
(It is like the father and daughter are copying each other. They have so many comments when not under oath or in a different setting, but when invited to a formal hearing, they act like squids with plenty of reasons not to come and answer our questions.)
She argued that if Duterte skips the next hearing, he should be cited in contempt according to House rules.
Gabriela Party List Rep. Arlene Brosas and Kabataan Party List Rep. Raoul Manuel also voiced their disapproval of Duterte’s absence.
“By refusing to participate, the former President is hindering the people’s right to know and denying them the opportunity to seek justice for the crimes committed during his term,” Brosas said.
“Pare-pareho silang hindi marunong humarap at managot. Ang mga taong hindi kayang umako ng responsibilidad ay hindi kailanman dapat maupo sa gobyerno,” Manuel added.
(Both of them are averse to facing issues and being held accountable. Those who cannot take responsibility should not be in government.)
In an unexpected twist, some lawmakers, including former Sen. Leila de Lima, extended “get well” wishes to Duterte, hoping he would recover to “face the music.”
“I hope he gets well na, so he would have health to face the music,” said de Lima, a vocal critic of Duterte, in an interview at the hearing.
“Kay Ginoong Duterte, sana gumaling na kayo. Magpagaling po kayo, para mayroon kang lakas na harapin ang lahat,” De Lima added.
(To Mr. Duterte, please get well. Get well so you will have the strength to face everything.)
Rep. Abante also acknowledged Duterte’s statement about being ready to face lawmakers.
“Sana po makapunta kayo sa susunod na hearing. Sana po samahan ka ng ibang invited personalities na nagtatago pa rin. Sana po sa pagpunta niyo rito, maraming mga katanungan ang maaari ninyong sagutin,” he said.
(I hope you can come to the next hearing. I hope you will be accompanied by others we have invited who are still in hiding. I hope that when you come here, you will be able to answer many questions.)
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Pagliban ni Duterte sa Pagdinig ukol sa Drug War, Nagdulot ng Kontrobersya sa Kamara
Dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte hindi dumalo sa pagdinig ng House quad committee ukol sa umano’y extrajudicial killings sa ilalim ng kanyang administrasyon kaugnay ng giyera kontra droga, sa kabila ng naunang pahayag na handa siyang humarap sa mga mambabatas ng Kamara.
Sa pagdinig, binasa ang isang sulat mula sa abogado ni Duterte na si Atty. Martin Delgra III, na nagsasabing “hindi maganda ang pakiramdam” ng dating Pangulo at “kailangan ng sapat na pahinga.” Gayunpaman, tiniyak ni Delgra na si Duterte ay “handang humarap” sa ibang araw na “mas mabuti pagkatapos ng Nobyembre 1.”
Itinampok ni Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, isa sa mga co-chair ng pagdinig, ang tanong ukol sa pagliban ni Duterte.
“Walang awtoridad mula sa dating Pangulo na siya ay kakatawanin ni Atty. Martin Delgra, at sa parehong pagkakataon, walang medical certificate na magpapatunay na ang dating Pangulo ay pinayagang hindi dumalo sa pagdinig ngayon dahil sa kanyang sitwasyong medikal,” aniya.
Noong nakaraan, kinailangan ng quad committee ang dating Pag-IBIG Fund trustee na si Mylah Roque—ang asawa ng dating tagapagsalita ni Duterte na si Harry Roque—na magbigay ng medical certificate para sa kanyang pagliban. Nang hindi ito nagawa, siya ay na-contempt.
Gayunpaman, nanawagan si Rep. Robert Ace Barbers sa kanyang mga kapwa-mambabatas na bigyan ng “courtesy” ang dating Pangulo at huwag nang hingan ng medical certificate.
“Alam naman natin na ang dating Pangulo ay matanda na at, batay sa mga ulat sa media, may iniindang sakit kamakailan, at nagkaroon ng medical check-up, sa tingin ko. Sa paggalang sa dating Pangulo, dapat siguro nating bigyan siya ng courtesy na nararapat sa kanya, na huwag nang humingi sa kanya ng medical certificate,” ani Barbers.
Una nang tumutol si Paduano at sinabi, “Mayroon tayong mga alituntunin.”
“Alam naman nating siya ay nasa edad na mahina na. Kaya, baka pwede nating ibigay ang exemption na ito sa dating Pangulo,” sagot ni Barbers, habang nananawagan ng konsiderasyon sa pagliban ni Duterte.
Matapos ang isang maikling suspensyon at mga pag-uusap ng mga mambabatas, sumang-ayon si Paduano sa kahilingan, ngunit binigyang-diin ang pangangailangang magkaroon ng dokumentasyon ng awtoridad ni Delgra upang kumatawan kay Duterte sa mga susunod na pagdinig.
Iminungkahi ni Rep. Barbers na maaaring “pagkukulang” ng abogado ni Duterte ang isyu at dapat na si Delgra mismo ang dumalo sa susunod na sesyon upang opisyal na katawanin si Duterte.
Samantala, isa pang mambabatas ang nagtatanong kung ang komite ay nagbibigay ng “special treatment” kay Duterte.
“Tayo ba ay nagbibigay ng espesyal na trato sa isang saksi dahil lang siya ay dating Pangulo?” tanong ni Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr.
Nilinaw ni Rep. Barbers na hindi ito “special treatment” kundi isang paraan ng pagpapakita ng respeto, at nanawagan sa komite na “magbigay ng kaunting courtesy na nararapat sa kanya.”
Binigyang-diin naman ni Santa Rosa, Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez ang mga alituntunin ng Kamara, na nagsasaad na ang mga saksi ay pinapayagan lamang ng dalawang postponements nang walang “makatarungang dahilan.”
Dagdag pa niya, “Dapat nating ipatupad ang mga alituntunin ng komiteng ito sa lahat o wala.”
Samantala, inakusahan naman ni ACT Teachers Party List Rep. France Castro si Duterte, at tinawag siyang “pusit,” isang tawag na ginamit na rin niya sa anak nito na si Pangalawang Pangulo Sara Duterte, na nagpapakita ng taktika upang maiwasan ang pananagutan.
“Parang nagagayahan lang ang mag-amang Duterte. Ang daming sinasabi ‘pag hindi under oath o wala sa tamang lugar. Pero kapag pinatawag na sa pormal na pagdinig, nag-uugaling pusit na pareho at ang daming rason para huwag dumalo at sagutin ang mga katanungan natin,” ani Castro.
Iginiit niya na kung hindi dadalo si Duterte sa susunod na pagdinig, dapat siyang i-contempt ayon sa mga alituntunin ng Kamara.
Kinondena rin nina Gabriela Party List Rep. Arlene Brosas at Kabataan Party List Rep. Raoul Manuel ang pagliban ni Duterte.
“Sa hindi niya pakikilahok, hinahadlangan ng dating Pangulo ang karapatan ng tao na malaman at ikinakaila sa kanila ang pagkakataong maghanap ng hustisya para sa mga krimeng naganap sa kanyang termino,” ani Brosas.
“Pare-pareho silang hindi marunong humarap at managot. Ang mga taong hindi kayang umako ng responsibilidad ay hindi kailanman dapat maupo sa gobyerno,” dagdag pa ni Manuel.
Nagbigay naman ng “get well” wishes ang ilang mambabatas, kabilang si dating Senador Leila de Lima, na umaasang gagaling si Duterte upang “harapin ang musika.”
“I hope he gets well na, so he would have health to face the music,” sabi ni de Lima, isang kilalang kritiko ni Duterte, sa isang panayam sa pagdinig.
“Kay Ginoong Duterte, sana gumaling na kayo. Magpagaling po kayo, para mayroon kang lakas na harapin ang lahat,” dagdag ni De Lima.
Inamin din ni Rep. Abante ang pahayag ni Duterte na handa siyang humarap sa mga mambabatas.
“Sana po makapunta kayo sa susunod na hearing. Sana po samahan ka ng ibang invited personalities na nagtatago pa rin. Sana po sa pagpunta niyo rito, maraming mga katanungan ang maaari ninyong sagutin,” aniya.
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