Former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Attorney Salvador Panelo announced that former President Rodrigo Duterte will attend the House of Representatives’ war on drugs probe on November 13.
Panelo said Duterte will attend the Quad Committee hearing to accept the challenge of some congressmen who dared him to answer their questions.
At the last committee hearing, Representative Joseph Stephen Paduano fumed at Duterte’s repeated refusal to attend the hearing.
Paduano asked if they were just being fooled or Duterte was just afraid to face them after promising to go to the hearing after November 1.
Panelo said he will also stand as Duterte’s lawyer at the congressional hearing.
“Titingnan natin ang tapang ng mga kongresistang ito dahil makakaharap na nila ang hinahamon nila.” Panelo said.
The Quad Committee has invited Duterte twice, but he has not attended the hearings for various reasons.
On the first invitation, Atty. Martin Delgra III, Duterte’s lawyer, said his client could not make it because he was tired from a trip to Manila, but he promised to attend the hearing after November 1.
On Monday’s hearing, the same lawyer said Duterte could not attend the investigation as he questioned the impartiality of the Quad Committee members who allegedly pressured some resource persons to say and do things against their will.
Through his lawyer, the former president said his appearance in the Quad Committee is no longer needed as he has told everything about the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation.
On the other hand, Duterte’s scheduled appearance in the Quad Committee is not likely to happen.
Panelo announced Duterte’s attendance at the House panel’s probe at 7:00 p.m., but as early as 9:30 a.m., the House of Representatives posted in their schedules that the Quad Committee hearing set for November 13 had already been canceled.
There has been no announcement yet as to when the next hearing will be or whether the former president is still willing to attend.
The Quad Committee is investigating the alleged widespread killings of drug suspects during the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
Abner is an award-winning journalist. He received the prestigious 2015 Titus Brandsma Award for Community Communication in the Philippines and participated in the 2016 International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) of the United States of America, sponsored by the US Embassy in the Philippines. Founder of WATCH NORTH COTABATO, a media-citizens’ transparency group. He worked as a correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and CNN Philippines. His experience in broadcasting includes anchoring for Brigada News FM in Kidapawan and General Santos City and Brigada News TV. He anchors Tira Brigada via 105.1 Brigada News FM Manila, Mondays-Saturdays.