Former President Rodrigo Duterte will attend the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation into the killings linked to his anti-drug campaign tomorrow, October 28, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said over the weekend.
The Senator made the confirmation to GMA News Online after a social media post showed Dela Rosa dining with Duterte, his partner Honeylet Avanceña, and former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.
The Senate investigation into the killings being linked to the government’s war on drugs is set to start on Monday, October 28, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III earlier said.
“The former President told me that he is going to attend the Senate hearing regardless of who is presiding,” Dela Rosa said.
“I am also offering myself as a resource person. I will be present there, not only as a member of the panel. They can ask me anything. They can interrogate me. They can interpellate me anytime they want,” he added.
Dela Rosa stated he would be direct and open when addressing his accusers, given his role as one of the main enforcers of the drug war. He assured that he would not hold back from disclosing the truth, as long as it is revealed. Dela Rosa urged the public to follow the proceedings, emphasizing that people deserve to know the facts about the anti-drug campaign.
In addition to Duterte, retired Police Colonel Royina Garma, former National Police Commission Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, former Senator Leila de Lima, Kerwin Espinosa, and families of drug war victims have also been invited to the Senate investigation.
The Senate aims to fast-track the probe, as plenary debates on the proposed 2025 national budget will begin on November 4 during the session.
According to government records, at least 6,200 drug suspects were killed in police operations from June 2016 to November 2021. However, several human rights groups dispute this figure, suggesting that the actual number may be as high as 30,000 due to unreported related killings. (TCSP)
