From left to right: Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr., Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, and Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez (Facebook)

House quad-committee (quad-comm) co-chairmen highlighted on Wednesday, Oct. 23 that they've clearly established the presence of a cash reward system during the previous Duterte administration's bloody war on drugs. 

This, after retired Police Col. Edilberto Leonardo corroborated on Tuesday, Oct. 22 former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma's explosive testimonies on the alleged slay-for-pay scheme. 

Overall chairman Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers; co-chairmen Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr.; and Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez believe that Leonardo's admission during Tuesday’s marathon hearing represented a significant progress in their investigation in aid of legislation. 

"It has been established that actually there's a reward system [during the Duterte drug war]. Di na pwedeng tanggihan pa ng previous administration (The previous administration can  o longer deny it)," he said. 

"Na-establish ang point namin diyan (We've established our point there). Whether it be his claim or not, it will be a burden of proof sa mga ayaw tumanggap (on those who deny it)," noted Abante, who was the one who squeezed out the admission from the resigned National Police Commission (Napolcom) commissioner during the hearing. 

Barbers explained the significance of Leonardo's corroboration of Garma's two affidavits wherein she accused former president Rodrigo Duterte of having a direct hand in the aggressive anti-narcotics campaign and the cash reward syetem that fueled it. 

"He is in agreement, he is in approval of the affidavit that Col. Garma executed. So wala pa kaming nakikita pang dapat i-dagdag because na-establish na nga ng quad-comm yung existence ng sinasabing reward system doon sa mga nangyayaring extrajudicial killings (EJKs)," Barbers said. 

(We don't have anything to add yet because the quad-comm has already established the existence of the said reward system for the EJKs.) 

"Meaning in the implementation of the war on drugs, may nangyayaring EJKs at ito nabibigyan ng reward. So yan ang pinaka-importante na punto," he underscored. 

(Tnis means that in the implementation of the of war on drugs, EJKs took place and the perpetrators were given rewards. So that is the most important point. 

Barbers says it's vital for such corroboration to be placed on the records of the quad-comm. 

"Ang kanyang pag-amin sa quad-comm (His admission before the quad-comm) will be placed on the records and this record that we will use as basis in writing our committee report, isasama namin yun (we will include that). 

"Once pumasok ito sa concerned agencies like DOJ (Department of Justice), DOJ should do a more comprehensive, maybe preliminary investigation sa kanya (Leonardo). Maybe interviewhin siya at maaring i-compel siya to issue or to execute an affidavit," said the quad-comm overall chairman. 

(Once the concerned agencies like the DOJ take cognizance of this, the DOJ should do a more comprehensive, maybe preliminary investigation on Leonardo. Maybe he could be interviewed and compelled to issue or to execute an affidavit.) 

Fernandez agreed with both Abante and Barbers. "Talagang na-establish na eh...Wala naman makakapag-deny (It's really been established...Nobody will be able to deny it)."

"Ang sinasabi natin, officially binanggit on record doon sa atin sa quad-comm at yan ang hinahabol natin na maging part of our hearing, or records," Fernandez said. 

(What we're saying is, it's been officially mentioned on record in our quad-comm, and that's what we want to be part of our hearings.)