THE House Quad Comm will investigate the possible connection of the case of 34 missing sabungeros to the bloody anti-drug war of the Duterte administration.
Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., who chairs the House Committee on Human Rights that is part of Quad Comm, revealed this Thursday in answer to a question on whether the disappearance of the sabungeros was connected to Duterte’s drug war.
Abante told a news conference that some of the 18 police officers under investigation by the National Police Commission in connection with the e-sabong enthusiasts’ case were involved in the previous administration’s anti-drug campaign.
“Yes, in fact, nabanggit po ito ng CIDG na talagang meron mga ilang kapulisan natin among the 18 na naging involved din sa reward system ng war on drugs,” he said.
“Now, atin pong bubusisiin ‘yan sapagkat ang next na gagawin natin is sa Quad Comm na eh after this. Ibig sabihin talagang…sa Quad Comm., deretsong hearing na ito, so they will take an oath,” he said.
The Manila House leader said the mega panel would like to know the truth.
“So, gusto nating malaman ang talagang ano, ilan sa kapulisan na nasa kustodiya ngayon ng ating Philippine National Police ang naging involved sa reward system ng war on drugs noong araw. And hindi ko sinabi na meron, sila mismo ang nagsabi na meron. Sila mismo ang nagsabi niyan,” he added.
He announced that Quad Comm would invite all of the 18 policemen, including six who have been dismissed from the service, to its hearing next month.
He lamented that the investigation into the missing sabungeros case seems to be going nowhere.
“We are going to invite lahat ‘yan, no, ang involved na-implicate sa missing sabungeros. Kasi bakit kahapon, sinabi ko nga kahapon na this (human rights) committee is quite disappointed, no, sapagkat parang walang nangyayari sa inbestigasyon although andyan ang DOJ, andyan ang CIDG, andyan ang Napolcom that are actually investigating,” he said.
“So, lalo natin makikita po ito when we have the Quad Comm, sapagkat gusto natin talaga makita na itong mga rogue policemen na ito na under preventive suspension, ang iba ay na-dismiss na, ang iba ay exonerated pa. So we’d like to find out kung ano talaga itong mga ito,” he said.
For his part, Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, who chairs the House Committee on Public Accounts, said the DOJ probe into the sabungeros disappearance during the Duterte administration is about accountability and justice.
“‘Yung usapin po ng missing sabongeros, usapin po talaga ‘yan ng pagpapanagot at usapin din po yan ng hustisya. Kasi sa totoo lang, meron po talagang mga pamilyang up until today, hinahanap po nila ang kanila pong mga mahal sa buhay,” he said.
“Ibig sabihin, whatever you feel about how they did their lives, very important po talaga na hindi ginagawa po ‘yung mga ganyang bagay. At kung ginawa naman na kung sino man pong tao, pulis man ‘yan, mataas na tao sa sektor ng pagsasabong, e dapat po silang mapanagot,” Ridon said
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