Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. (left), former president Rodrigo Duterte (Facebook, Malacañang photo)

If former president Rodrigo Duterte is hoping to be asked educated question by congressmen, then congressmen are hoping to hear educated answers from Duterte. 

This was Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr.'s apparent retort to Duterte on Monday, Oct. 21 ahead of the latter's expected appearance in the House of Representatives' quad-committee (quad-comm) hearing Tuesday, Oct. 22. 

"Let me add, sa akin naman (for me), more than asking any educated question, we would like to listen to his educated answer. Ibig sabihin (That means), we're willing to listen. I mean, for him to explain to us yung war on drugs, we're willing to listen," said Abante, one of the four co-chairmen of the mega-panel. 

Abante was seemingly referencing the former chief executive's statement earlier this month wherein he said, "If they (quad-comm) will invite me. I  just hope they will ask educated questions.”  

During his presidency, Duterte was known to make shocking statements, which he would later brush off as jokes. 

Abante said he wants Duterte "to explain to us why is it necessary on the war on drugs that more than 20,000 people were killed". 

"We're willing to listen, we're willing to listen na sinabi niya several times na patayin ang mga drug pushers (that he called for the death of drug pushers several times)...we're willing to listen kung bakit niya sinabi yan (why he said that)," the pastor-preacher said. 

"We're willing to listen. We're willing to listen to him," Abante repeatedly said, as if to prove a point. 

"Bakit more than 7,000 ang mga pinatay ng mga drug pushers...Pero yung mga malalaking drug lords buhay pa hanggang ngayon (How come more than 7,000 drug pushers were killed...But the big drug lords are still breathing up to now). 

"That is what we would like to know," said the veteran lawmaker.