House panel cancels drug war hearing; Duterte to seek clarification

National

THE House committee investigating the drug war killings under the watch of former President Rodrigo Duterte has postponed its hearing scheduled for November 13, despite Duterte confirming he would attend.

The hearing, initially scheduled for Wednesday, was called off after Rep. Dan Fernandez, co-chair of the quad committee, announced on November 12 that they had decided to cancel it.

The committee had been considering the cancellation since Sunday, November 10, and finalized the decision on the evening of Monday, November 11.

The timeline of the cancellation has raised questions about its timing.

At 6:42 p.m. on Monday, the committee sent a formal notice to government agencies about the postponement.

Two minutes later, a staff member from Duterte’s office inquired via Viber whether the hearing had been canceled, and the committee confirmed it.

By 9:23 p.m., the committee sent a notice to Duterte’s lawyer, Martin Delgra, and at 10:35 p.m., the same notice was sent directly to Duterte through Delgra.

Earlier that evening, Salvador Panelo, Duterte’s former spokesperson, stated in a live broadcast that Duterte would attend the hearing regardless of the cancellation.

He indicated that both he and Duterte would still go to the House of Representatives on Wednesday to ask why the hearing was canceled after the president had confirmed his participation.

Rep. Ace Barbers, co-chair of the committee, explained that the hearing was postponed to allow more time for witness testimonies.

The committee needed additional time to evaluate the credibility of several individuals who wished to testify.

Barbers dismissed suggestions that the committee had postponed the hearing due to fear of Duterte’s attendance and confirmed that the next hearing would take place on November 21.

The committee’s investigation continues into the drug war, which has been linked to thousands of deaths, both documented and alleged.(CMM)