Senator Christopher "Bong" Go (left), Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez (Facebook)

House quad-committee (quad-comm) co-chairman, Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez respects and welcomes the Senate's plan to conduct a parallel investigation on the issue of alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the previous Duterte administration. 

"Well, it is also their right to be there in their own investigation. I can accept that. Being a part of the legislative processes, being a senator. Mas OK nga yun eh (It's actually better to have one)," Fernandez told House reporters in an interview Tuesday, Oct. 15. 

"And it is also their right to speak in their own investigation. And maybe the [pieces of evidence]… will prove them wrong," he noted. 

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, a close ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, was the one who floated the possibility of a parallel probe on EJKs following the shocking revelations made by former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma during  the last quad-comm hearing last Oct. 11. 

"Although, syempre, kapag naging biased sila sa investigation nila, makikita naman ng taumbayan," Fernandez said. 

(Although, of course, if they become biased with their investigation, the people will notice it.) 

"I think the best ammunition here is ‘yung ebidensya na nagsasalita (the testimonial evidence)....So if ever they will lie about this payment on the extra judicial killings, then let the people construe that," said the Laguna solon. 

Garma claimed in her Oct. 11 testimony that cash rewards were give to police officers for slain drug war suspects during Duterte’s bloody war on drugs. The rewards ranged from P20,000 for street-level suspects to P1 million for "chemists, traders, manufacturers, financiers, and ninja cops".   

Fernandez said he also respects the denials of Go and fellow Duterte ally Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa as to the information shared by Garma. 

But he noted that the difference between Garma's testimony and the denials of both Go and Dela Rosa was that Garma was under oath. This means that she could get charged with perjury if she is proven to be lying. 

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"Words nila ‘yun eh. But of course itong kila Royina Garma, this was under oath. At the same time, mayroon siyang affidavit na sinasabi niya na talagang nagkaroon ng payment. 

(Those are their words. But of course with the likes of Royina Garma, this was under oath. At the same time, she executed an affidavit wherein she said there was payment.) 

"And we heard about these different kind of issues that there was indeed a payment being given [for drug war kills]," Fernandez said.

"Yun ang mahirap kapag sa outside tayo nagsasalita, we can say anything that we wanted. But of course, kapag nandoon na tayo sa hearing, nandoon na ‘yung repercussion that cases can be filed against you, dahil nga syempre ano na tayo, under oath na po tayo," he added.

(That's the problem when we speak from the outside, we can say anything that we wanted. But of course, when you're in the hearing, the repercussion that cases can be filed against you is present, because by then we are already under oath.)