The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Sunday, Oct. 13, said it will initiate preliminary investigation of the cases of high-profile killings that took place during the administration of President Rodrigo R. Duterte
The alleged killings are now under scrutiny by the House of Representatives Quad-Committee.
“We will initiate the preliminary investigation and case build-up once Congress refers its committee report together with the affidavits or when somebody files a complaint against those responsible,” DOJ Undersecretary Raul T. Vasquez told journalists.
“Here, it could be the police or private complainants” initiating the complaints, he said.
The DOJ pointed out that before the investigation can proceed there must be “an initiatory process” like somebody filing a complaint.
The House Quad-Comm has been conducting hearings on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and extrajudicial killings during illegal drugs operations.
These include the killings of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary and retired police general Wesley Barayuga in 2020; Mayor Antonio Halili of Tanauan, Batangas in 2018; Mayor Rolando Espinosa of Albuera, Leyte in 2016; and convicted drug lords Chu Kin Tung, Li Lan Yan, and Wong Meng Pin inside the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) in 2016.