The Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs will push through with its public hearing into the controversial shootout between the members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Philippine National Police (PNP).
Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, committee chairman, announced Saturday that the hearing was set for Monday, March 15.
Earlier, he decided to postpone the committee's inquiry after President Duterte ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to handle the probe so it would be impartial.
Two policemen, one PDEA agent, and an informant of the PDEA died after the gunfight between anti-drug operatives near a shopping mall along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City last February 24. A few days later, the NBI announced that another person also died.
Both the PNP and PDEA previously insisted that their operations were legitimate.
Aside from the misencounter, the hearing will also look into the implementation of the Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and the Senate President Vicente Sotto III's proposal to create a Presidential Drug Enforcement Authority.
The panel invited officials of the PNP, including its chief, Gen. Debold Sinas, although Dela Rosa said he no longer expects Sinas to attend after he tested positive for COVID-19.
"The invitation was already sent to him before the result of his test came out. He will be represented by Lt. Guillermo Eleazar, officer-in-charge of the PNP and Deputy Chief for Administration," Dela Rosa said in the statement.
For the PDEA's side, among those invited was Director General Wilkins Villanueva. NBI Director Eric Distor was also invited to shed light into the incident.