Former president Rodrigo Duterte (lef), Royina Garma (Malacañang photo, Facebook)

The House quad-committee (quad-comm) officially begins "season two" tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 11 as it continues to dig deeper into the rabbit hole of alleged crimes spawned by the interconnected issues on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), the Duterte drug war, and extrajudicial killings (EJK). 

Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, overall chairman of the mega-panel, said the second season would have a definite starting point--EJKs. 

Among those invited to the expected marathon hearing Friday are witnesses to the alleged EJKs in Cebu, where the controversial former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma formerly served as the police chief. 

Garma--established in past quad-comm hearings to be close with former president Rodrigo Duterte--is detained at the House of Representatives after being cited for contempt by solons for lying. 

Former PCSO officials who were allegedly involved in the 2020 killing of PCSO Board Secretary Wesley Barayuga were also invited, said Barbers. 

He says officers of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class 1983--Barayuga's class--are expected to attend the hearing. 

During the last quad-comm hearing on Sept. 27, Police Lt. Col. Santie Fuentes Mendoza, presently assigned with the Philippine National Police (PNP) Drug Enforcement Group (DEG), and his civilian anti-drug “asset” Nelson Mariano both testified that Garma and National Police Commission (Napolcom) Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo planned and funded Barayuga’s assassination. 

Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante, a co-chairman of the special four-way panel, said that a "Tokhang" survivor in Quezon City during  the time of Batasan Station 6 Commander Col. Lito Patay had also been invited. 

Tokhang is a term closely attached to the previous Duterte administration's aggressive war on illegal drugs. 

Other topics like POGOs and illegal drugs will be tackled on a later date, Barbers said.


Rodrigo Duterte 

Meanwhile, Barbers echoed Abante's positive reception of Duterte’s apparent willingness to appear before the quad-comm.  

“Kami ay natutuwa na mayroong ganong pahayag ang ating dating pangulo (We are delighted by this statement from the former president). We will gladly accommodate and be honored by his presence,” he said. 

However, Barbers affirmed Abante's earlier statement that Duterte would be accommodated in a future hearing, and not Friday. 

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https://mb.com.ph/2024/10/6/suarez-says-order-to-end-pog-os-is-the-right-move


Quad-comm hearings in 20th Congress?


The Manila solon said that the quad-comm hearings could spill over to the 20th Congress. 

"It might be [extended to 20th Congress]...ang dami pa talagang pag-uusapan eh (we distill have a lot to discuss)," Abante said. 

But of the usual topics of the quad-comm, he said that the POGO issue could be concluded   before the close of 2024. 

"Yung POGO, maaari na naming i-terminate this year. Maari, no. But the EJK and the drugs ,marami pang pag-uusapan dun. Hopefully, hindi na sana umabot ng 20th Congress, nakakapagod na rin," Abante candidly said. 

(The POGO discussions can be terminated this year. That's possible. But the EJK and the drugs ,marami pang pag-uusapan dun (we still have a lot to discuss there. Hopefully, it doesn't reach the 20th Congress, it's very tiring.) 

The current 19th Congress will end in June 2025 or after the conduct of the mid-term elections.