Former president Rodrigo Duterte (Malacañang photo)

Former president Rodrigo Duterte's absence in the House quad-committee (quad-comm) hearing Tuesday, Oct. 22 reminded Act Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro of the supposed evasiveness of Vice President Sara Duterte.

As such, the Makabayan solon and House deputy majority leader also compared ex-president Duterte to a "pusit", or squid.

Castro, in her manifestation during the quad-comm hearing, expressed her "concern and dismay" over Duterte’s failure to surface and answer the lawmakers' questions about his controversial anti-illegal drug campaign.

"Parang naggagayahan lang ang mag-amang Duterte. Ang daming sinasabi kapag hindi under oath o wala sa tamang lugar. Pero pag pinatawag na sa pormal na pagdinig, nag-uugaling pusit na pareho at ang dami nang rason para wag dumalo at sagutin nang maayos ang mga katanungan natin," Castro said.

(The Duterte father-and-daughter seem to be copying each other. They say a lot whenever they're not under oath or not at the proper venue. But once you summon them to a formal hearing, they use squid tactics and numerous reasons so that they won't attend to answer our questions.)

"Kaya I move na kapag hindi pa dumalo si dating presidente Duterte sa susunod na hearing, ay i-cite na niya in contempt o kung ano man yung rules natin," she added.

(That's why I move to have president Duterte cited for contempt or whatever our rules permit in case he still doesn't attend the next hearing.)

A squid is an animal that excretes ink as a defensive move. This allows it to escape predators.

It was Castro who likened Vice President Duterte to a squid during a House Committee on Appropriations-led budget hearing last Aug. 27. Although the Vice President attended the proceedings, she refused to answer the lawmakers' questions directly.

"So wag naman mag-ugaling pusit ang OVP (I hope the Office of the Vice President doesn't adopt squid tactics)," Castro told the younger Duterte, who was pelted with questions regarding her alleged misuse of millions worth of confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs).

'A big insult'

Castro said ex-president's absence Tuesday was "a big insult to the families of the victims of the bloody drug war" of then-president Duterte.

"Sa kanyang pagtanggi ay nagpapakita lamang ng kawalan ng respeto sa proseso ng imbestigasyon at sa pagharap sa katotohan," the militant solon said.

(His refusal to appear just shows his lack of respect to the investigative process and in facing the truth.)

"Kung totoong walang tinatago si dating pangulong Duterte, bakit hindi niya harapin ang mga tanong natin dito sa committee? Bakit kailangan pa niya magtago sa likod ng mga dahilan tulad ng health issues at short notice?" Castro further asked.

(If former president Duterte really isn't hiding anything, then why not face the questions of this committee? Why does he need to hide behind reasons such as health issues and short notice?)

In a letter sent to quad-comm overall chairman, Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, lawyer Martin Delgra III said his client ex-president Duterte couldn't attend the hearing since he was "not feeling well and is in need of much rest".

Delgra also cited the "short notice" of the quad-comm's invite to the former chief executive, which was dated Oct. 18.

Leila: I'm not afraid of Digong

Attending Tuesday's hearing as a resource person was former senator Leila de Lima--a person who was incarcerated for drug-related charges during ex-president Duterte anti-narcotics campaign.

Former senator Leila de Lima (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

De Lima said she wanted to see the former president at the quad-comm hearing, but he didn't show up.

She stressed that she didn't fear the elder Duterte. "Why should I be afraid of him, I'm never afraid of him. I've proven that I'm beyond being threatened by him," she told reporters before leaving the House of Representatives.

De Lima urged the absent Duterte to tell the truth.

"Aminin mo yung kasalanan mo sa akin na pinag-initan niyo lang ako. Inimbento niyo yung mga kaso against me. Aminin mo na rin na ikaw talaga ang pinaka-involved bilang mastermind, nag-utos, nag-induce. Nakikita natin yan.

(Admit what you did to me, that you pinned me down. You fabricated the cases against against me. Admit that you were the one most involved as the mastermind, the one who called the shots, the one who induced. We can see that.)

De Lima further called the previous Duterte administration's drug war as a "fake war on drugs".

The quad-comm is looking into the alleged interconnected issues of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), EKJs, money laundering and the aggressive anti-narcotics campaign of ex-president Duterte.

Also during Tuesday's hearing, Bulacan 6th district Rep. Salvador Pleyto Sr. expressed his "unqualified support to the various House resolutions arising from the tedious quad-comm inquiry, in aid of legislation, specifically, on the matter of the surge of Chinese nationals or student enrolling in various educational institutions in the province of Cagayan".

"May mga reports po kasi na libo-libong Chinese student ang dumagsa sa probinsya ng Cagayan upang mag-aral mula pa noong taong 2019," Pleyto noted.

(There are reports that thousands of Chinese students have flocked to Cagayan province to attend schools there since 2019.)

"It's not that I am against Chinese students coming to the Philippines to study. However, considering the tension in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and the ongoing legislative investigations into the alleged involvement of Chinese individuals, groups, and/ or corporations in illegal POGOs and the alleged crimes associated in their operation, it is understandable for us, Filipinos to feel so concerned on their increased presence here, disguising or not, as students," he expanded.

"Having said that, this representation fully supports the proposed resolutions aimed at bringing clarity to these POGO-related issues in our country," he further said.