The House Quad Committee has invited former President Rodrigo Duterte to join their hearing on October 22. The committee wants him to provide information on the alleged extrajudicial killings that happened during his administration’s war on drugs.
Representative Robert Ace Barbers, head of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, signed the invitation, hoping Duterte can “shed light” on the issue of the drug war killings.
A former police officer, Royina Garma, claimed that Duterte once asked her to find an officer who would follow the “Davao model” for handling drug suspects. This model allegedly included rewards for killing drug suspects. However, Duterte denied offering any rewards, saying the only thing he gave to police officers was food and greetings for completing their tasks.
The hearing may reveal more information about how the drug war was conducted, with some saying it wasn’t just a crime-fighting effort but a “state-sanctioned bloodbath” that rewarded killings.
Duterte said he would attend the hearing if lawmakers asked “educated questions” and avoided irrelevant or private matters.
