SENATE President Francis “Chiz” Escudero assured that there will be no bias but rather an impartial investigation by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee into the war on drugs launched during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
In an interview, Escudero stated that the investigation will be fair because aside from inviting all resource persons involved in the drug war, including the victims, the two senators implicated in the “reward system” will also be allowed to speak.
“The investigation into the Duterte administration’s war on drugs will be fair, even if Senators Ronald Dela Rosa and Christopher Go are permitted to attend to defend themselves against accusations of involvement in the reward system,” Escudero said.
According to Escudero, only the public can judge if the hearing, set to begin on October 28 and led by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III, will be fair.
“Perhaps the viewers of the hearing will be the ones to judge. For me, this is the most fair, which is why Senator Pimentel will chair the committee, even though we are on recess, and took motu proprio jurisdiction on this issue,” he added.
Escudero emphasized that Dela Rosa and Go should understand their roles in the hearing.
“As they say, when the point comes that they speak about any personal knowledge they have related to the discussion in the hearing, I will presume that they will be stating these facts on their oath as a member of the Senate without the need to actually take their oaths,” Escudero said.
The Senate leader also confirmed that Dela Rosa and Go will be allowed to question the resource persons.
“Perhaps this is also a good opportunity to give them a chance to present their side on this issue because of the surge of inter-chamber courtesy, they do not need to attend the House,” Escudero said.
In a separate interview, Pimentel stated that objectivity based on the evidence presented by the resource persons will prevail in the investigation.
Unlike the hearing of the Lower House’s QuadCom, the Senate will investigate the country’s drug war not only the drug war launched by Duterte under the leadership of Dela Rosa as head of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
It is expected that victims of extrajudicial killings, including retired police colonels Royina Garma and Edilberto Leonardo, former President Rodrigo Duterte, self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, former Senator Leila de Lima, and Col. Jovie Espenido will attend the initial hearing.
