Duterte receives invitation to House Quad Com hearing on EJKs during drug war

 FORMER president Rodrigo Duterte has received an invitation to appear before the House of Representatives Quad Committee (QuadComm) on Tuesday, October 22, to discuss the reported extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during his administration’s war on drugs.

PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo confirmed the receipt of the invitation during a press briefing on Monday. “Our former president has received the invitation. I have this picture that the invitation has already been received. That is confirmed,” Fajardo said.

The invitation, issued by Surigao del Norte Representative Robert Ace Barbers, chair of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, was delivered to Duterte’s representative on Sunday. The hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.

“The Joint Committee respectfully invites you to attend the said inquiry to provide valuable insights and shed light on the issues under discussion particularly on extra-judicial killings,” the letter read.

Former presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo had previously stated that Duterte would attend the hearing if invited. “He said if he received an invitation, he will,” Panelo told GMA News Online.

The QuadComm investigation into EJKs during the Duterte administration follows allegations of widespread human rights abuses during the war on drugs. The committee is seeking to delve into the implementation of the “Davao model,” a system allegedly involving rewards up to P1 million for killing drug suspects. This model was reportedly implemented nationwide during Duterte’s presidency.

The hearing is expected to shed light on the policies and practices employed during the war on drugs and their impact on human rights.