RPPe Quad Comm’s first meeting set for tomorrow

THE Quad Comm is scheduled to set its agenda and ground rules during its organizational meeting tomorrow afternoon (Monday).

Quad Comm is the four-committee panel the House of Representatives has authorized to conduct a comprehensive joint investigation into possible connection between illegal Philippine offshore gambling operators (POGO), illegal drugs, and extrajudicial killings (EJKs), and human rights violations in the course of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s bloody anti-drug war.

The first meeting is expected to start with welcome remarks from the lead chairman, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, who chairs the committee on dangerous drugs, after the roll call of members.

This would be followed by opening statements from Barbers, chairman of the Committee on Dangerous Drugs; Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio “Dong”Gonzales Jr., Chairman Dan Fernandez of the House Committee on Public Order and Safety, Chairman Bienvenido Abante Jr. of the House Committee on Human Rights rights, and Chairman Joseph Stephen Paduano of the House Committee on Public Accounts.

The Quad Comm will also tackle its agenda and schedule of hearings, and agree on its ground rules.

Eight privilege speeches and resolutions have been referred to the super committee. These are:

1.  Privilege speech of Gonzales last Aug. 5, calling for a joint investigation on the pressing issues of extrajudicial killings, illegal drugs and illegal activities; 

2.  House Resolution No. 1346 - To conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation on the P3.6 billion worth of shabu seized in the town of Mexico, Pampanga, and P1.3 billion shabu discovered in the city of Mabalacat, also in Pampanga, authored by Gonzales and Barbers 

3.  House Resolution No. 1351 calling for a thorough investigation in aid of legislation on the P3.8 billion worth of shabu intercepted at the port of Subic Bay Freeport Zone, authored by Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun 

4.  House Resolution No. 14 urging the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the House committee on human rights to conduct, in aid of legislation, a thorough investigation and review of the cases of slain victims of the war on drugs and all related atrocities, authored by Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Danniel Manuel 

5.  House Resolution No. 1847 urging the committee on human rights, committee on dangerous drugs, and committee on public order and safety to jointly conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, on the drug-related extrajudicial killings under the bloody war on drugs of the Duterte administration, authored by Reps. Arlene Brosas, France Castro, and Manuel 

6.  Privilege speech of Rep. France Castro last November 8 on the alleged extrajudicial killings committed during the Duterte administration. 

7.  Motu proprio inquiry on Philippine offshore gambling operators by the committee on public order and safety, and committee on games and amusements. 

8.  Motu proprio inquiry on alleged irregularities in the procurement process and unlawful contracts entered into by the town of Mexico, Pampanga, in violation of relevant auditing, procurement, and other Laws conducted by the committee on public accounts. 

Barbers said the first Quad Comm hearing would be held in Pampanga, where an illegal POGO hub in Porac town has been shut down, on August 16 where P1.3 billion worth of shabu was discovered in Mabalacat City and a larger P3.6-billion worth of shabu shipment was seized in Mexico town in September 2023.

“And all those people we invited sa POGO hearing, the likes of the mayor of Porac, the mayor of Bamban, yung acting mayor ngayon, the CIDG personnel, the PAGCOR officials, and some PNP generals, including General (Romeo) Caramat, and we will also invite maybe General (Eleazar) Mata ng Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group,” he said.

Asked why the panel chose Pampanga as the venue for its first hearing, Barbers said:

“Kasi ang ano natin, mayroon pa nating witnesses na nandyan dyan malapit sa lugar na ‘yan na pwedeng humarap at pwedeng magbigay ng information. Kaya dadalhin natin ang committee dyan sa lugar na yan,” he said.

“Kasi dun nga sa usapin ng POGO, human trafficking, torture, human rights violation at saka yung alleged drugs, eh maaring mayroon mga mag-share mga information dyan,” he said. (END)