By Rodolfo Dacleson II
(August 31, 2024) – A lawmaker on Friday said the quad committee in the House of Representatives is still awaiting witnesses to corroborate the claims by a police officer regarding the use of illegal gambling money to fund the rewards for extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the bloody war on drugs of the previous administration.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers reiterated that Col. Jovie Espenido must prove his allegations with evidence.
“Ang burden of proof ay nasa sa kanya,” said Barbers on One News’ Storycon. “We will wait kung merong magko-corroborate na member rin ng PNP (Philippine National Police), retired or active members, or anyone who can actually support that with written evidence.”
In the hearing by the quad committee last Wednesday, Espenido revealed that the money used to reward police officers for implementing the bloody anti-drug operations of former president Rodrigo Duterte came from Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO), small-town lotteries, and intelligence funds.
The quad committee is investigating the links of EJKs, the drug trade, and POGOs to Duterte’s cruel war on drugs. POGOs became widespread during the term of Duterte, who repeatedly defended them by citing their supposed economic contributions.
Co-chaired by Barbers, who leads the committee on dangerous drugs, it is also composed of the committees on public order and safety, public accounts, and human rights.
Barbers, meanwhile, also responded to Sen. Bato Dela Rosa’s concerns that the quad committee’s hearings could be used against him and other individuals being investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“Lumalabas lamang itong mga pangalan na nababanggit because of the witnesses,” said Barbers. “’We will now weigh kung ano ‘yung value ng kanilang mga sinabi sa harap ng quad comm if we can use them sa aming committee report.”
Dela Rosa and Duterte, who’s also being probed by the ICC, have been repeatedly invited by the quad committee to attend the hearings but they have refused.
Human rights groups estimated that around 30,000 individuals were killed during the merciless war on drugs.
(PM)
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