Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (left), Senator Risa Hontiveros (Facebook)

House quad-committee (quad-comm) overall chairman, Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers is supporting Senator Risa Hontiveros' call for the creation of a Committee of the Whole in the Senate for the purpose of looking into former president Rodrigo Duterte's bloody drug war. 

This, as opposed to the just one panel--speciffically Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa's Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs--carrying out the investigation. 

"Suportado namin itong panawagan ni Sen. Hontiveros na ipursige ang Senate Committee of the Whole investigation sa EJKs ng drug war ng nakaraang administrasyon. We are very pleased that both Houses of Congress are of one mind in this,” Barbers said. 

(We support Sen. Hontiveros' call to pursue a Senate Committee of the Whole investigation on the extrajudicial killings of the previous administration’s drug war.) 

A Committee of the Whole in the upper chamber would be composed of all 23 sitting senators.  It is expected to be headed by Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero. 

Barbers says that the Senate probe alongside the ongoing quad-comm investigation is crucial to uncovering the truth about the drug war operations. 

But there are apprehensions among members of the House of Representatives--the other legislative chamber--over Dela Rosa's panel conducting the inquiry on its own. 

This was mainly because Dela Rosa was the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief when the Duterte administration launched its anti-illegal narcotics campaign in 2016. 
 

HAVE YOU READ THIS? 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/10/17/house-members-slam-dela-rosa

Barbers said the propsoed Senate Committee of the Whole has the capacity to bring about significant accountability to those involved in the drug war, including high-ranking officials. 

“We fully support Sen. Hontiveros’ push for the Senate to conduct its own investigation. The House and Senate must work together to uncover the truth and ensure accountability for the thousands of lives lost,” the quad-comm overall chairman reiterared.