Rodrigo Duterte is ready to face the Senate's investigation into his administration's controversial war on drugs this coming Monday, Oct. 28, with Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa confirming ahead of time the former president's presence in the hearing.

"Sigurado mag-attend 'yun sa Monday (He will surely attend on Monday)," Dela Rosa said in a radio interview over DWIZ on Saturday, Oct. 26.

He also shared that he recently had dinner with Duterte, Honeylet Avanceña, and former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez in Davao on Friday, Oct. 25. According to Dela Rosa, Duterte told him that he was bound for Manila right after their dinner.

"Nagkataon lang yung dinner na yun dahil merong gunshow kasi dun sa SMX Davao. Pareho kaming mahilig sa baril, andun ako, maya-maya dumating siya. Nung nagkita-kita kami sa loob exhibit ng mga baril, ikot-ikot dun tingin-tingin ng mga baril, nag-imbita siya ng dinner pagkatapos niya mag-ikot (It was just a coincidence because there was a gun show at SMX Davao. We are both gun enthusiasts, and I was there, and just a moment later, he arrived. We met inside the gun exhibit, looked around, and he invited me to dinner when he was done)," he said.

He added that they barely discussed anything about the upcoming hearing except for the fact that Duterte said that he would attend the investigation and that he would be answering questions.

Duterte failed to attend the House of Representatives' quad-committee (quad-comm) hearing last Tuesday, Oct. 22 where he was invited as a resource person.

The former chief executive begged off due to him "not feeling well", among other reasons. He did express willingness to attend a future quad-comm hearing "preferably after Nov. 1".

Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez found this unfair, and stated that it was "somewhat of a slap to Congress".

Dela Rosa said Duterte was doing well when they had dinner, and even drank cola, meaning he had no food inhibitions.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III will preside over the motu propio investigation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee subcommittee in lieu of Senator Pia Cayetano, who is currently attending an energy summit.

Hearing to push through even without Digong

In a separate interview on Teleradyo, Pimentel said that with or without Duterte's presence, the hearing would push through.

"Hindi ko na inaalam kung confirmed o hindi kasi sa dami naman ng aming imbitadong resource person saka witnesses, pumunta man si former president Duterte o hindi, e tuloy ang hearing. Lagpas 30 yung ang ating inimbita so tuloy un kahit na anong mangyari kasi in fairness to the others marami rin dun ang nagbiyahe (I'm no longer checking if he confirmed or not, because with the large number of our invited resource persons and witnesses, regardless of whether former president Duterte attends or not, the hearing will push through. We've invited over 30 people, so it will continue despite any circumstances, because to be fair to the others, many of them have also traveled to be there)," Pimentel said.

"Hindi ko na inaabala ang sarili ko dyan kasi nga it does not matter, immaterial. Kapag sumipot siya then witness siya, di sya pumunta, tuloy ang hearing. Hindi po nahohostage ang hearing natin sa presence ng isang tao (I've stopped worrying over that because it doesn't matter, it's immaterial anyway. If he shows up, he can be a witness, if he doesn't come, the hearing will still go on. Our hearing is not hostaged by a person's presence)," he added.