THE recent exposé by former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Royina Garma during the House Quad Committee hearing has intensified the scrutiny surrounding the deadly war on drugs spearheaded by former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Garma’s testimony has provided shocking new details about the state-sanctioned extrajudicial killings under Duterte’s presidency.
The QuadComm has expressed willingness to extend invitations to Duterte and Senators Bong Go and Bato dela Rosa to attend the hearings and face these damning allegations.
Garma, once a trusted ally of Duterte and a former police officer, delivered a stunning testimony that pulled back the curtain on the ruthless tactics used by law enforcement under Duterte’s regime.
She revealed that police officers were not only encouraged but incentivized to kill suspected drug offenders rather than arrest them with directives coming from Duterte himself.
Garma’s testimony directly implicated the trio in the campaign, exposing them as key figures in these extrajudicial killings which Go had already denied.
Duterte was revealed as the head and orchestrator of a merciless, blood-soaked war that prioritized killing over justice.
The QuadComm wants to give them the opportunity to face the public and respond to these damning accusations.
It looks, it’s determined to uncover the truth and hold accountable those who orchestrated and supported the brutal campaign.
Duterte, however, has consistently dismissed criticism of his administration’s human rights abuses.
For all of Duterte’s public posturing as a strongman, willing to confront his critics and enemies head-on, his inaction when it comes to facing investigations tells a different story.
Their reluctance to attend the hearings is a stark reminder that their bravado was merely a facade, one that crumbles under the weight of the truth now being revealed.
If Duterte would be truthful with his strongman persona, he would face head on the Quad Comm investigation, then the two senators should follow suit.
The public hopes that these individuals show up so that we can get answers on issues that have been plaguing the country.
Their track record however of ignoring the accusations levelled against them would tell us otherwise.
All we can do is hope that they’d appear before the Quad Comm for the sake of truth and justice.