TWO House leaders on Monday broached the idea of a joint House-Senate investigation into the extrajudicial killings for a more expansive and comprehensive congressional probe on the issue.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs and overall presiding officer of the Quad Committee, and Sta. Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez, chairman of the Committee on Public Order and Safety, voiced their support for a possible House-Senate joint inquiry during a House press briefing.
The two committees, along with the Committees on Human Rights chaired by Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. and the Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Abang Lingkod Partylist Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, form the Quad Committee which is currently investigating the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, unlawful activities prevalent and linked to online gaming organizations, as well as extrajudicial killings.
Barbers said the Senate can conduct an investigation parallel to the House Quad Comm’s probe since there are no prohibitions in the rules of both chambers.
Well kami, I’m sure narinig niyo na na iyung aming opinyon ukol diyan, ay sang-ayon din kami diyan. In fact, mas maganda nga na magkaroon din ng isang parallel investigation dahil wala naman hong prohibitions sa aming rules. And because meron ganyan klaseng parallel investigation, we do expect na in sync ang House at saka ang Senate dito sa usapin tungkol diyan sa EJK. We really have to come up with a law para matigil at hindi na mangyari itong mga ganitong klaseng extrajudicial killings,” he said.
Barbers said his opinion or suggestion is for the House and the Senate to conduct a joint investigation.
“Yung opinyon ko, e kung meron ang Senate, meron din ang House, e ba’t hindi na lang natin pag-isahin? Parang bicam ang dating. Isang joint committee hearing, nandiyan ang Kongreso, nandiyan ang Senado at nandiyan ang ating investigation. I think mas malawak, mas komprehensibo at mas maraming mga intelligent questions na maitatanong ang mga miyembro ng komiteng ito,” he said.
Barbers expects the joint investigation to be a priority of lawmakers. “Kaya kung uunahin nila yung personal na interest sa pamamagitan ng pagsabi na may kampanya kasi kaya wala sila, isa sa kanilang mandato at obligasyon ay itong ating ginagawang conducting an investigation, in aid of legislation. Yan po ang aming trabaho.Yung produkto ng aming komite ay pinag-aaralan at pinag-iisipan po yan,” he said.
Barbers said they would seek the views of Senate President Francis Escudero and Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on the proposed joint investigation of the House and Senate.
“Ipo-propose pa namin iyan kung ano ang masasabi ng ating Senate President at saka ng ating Speaker of the House. It was just an idea na tinitingnan natin kasi para masabi na impartial itong investigation na ito. Dahil tayong lahat, bawat Pilipino ay naniniwala na kinukundena natin ang mga pagpatay. Wala po sigurong magsasabi dito na natutuwa sila na meron pinapatay e di ba,? he said.
Fernandez also supported the joint investigation proposal broached by Barbers in order to expedite the enactment into laws of the bill declaring EJK as a heinous crime and stopping POGO operations.
“Para mapabilis, remember two weeks ago nag-file kami ng dalawang bill, yun pong declaring EJK as a heinous crime at yung isa, itong pag stop ng POGO. Now, kung hindi magiging in sync ung Upper and Lower House pagdating sa ganitong klase ng investigation ng bills na finile natin, by December ang order ng Presidente, tigil. Kung hindi natin maaprobahan iyong POGO bill we filed together with the Upper House, mababalewala po yung atin pong ginawang submission or filing of the two bills. Mas maganda para mapapilis po iyong ating kilos ay magsama na ang Senado at Kongreso,” Fernandez said.
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