Former president Rodrigo Duterte (Quad-comm media)

The chairmen of the House quad-committee (quad-comm) demonstrated early on their rigidity in the conduct of the mega-panel's hearing Wednesday, Nov. 13 that featured the appearance of former president Rodrigo Duterte as a resource person.

Co-chairman Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr., in his lengthy opening remarks in the hearing, outright warned Duterte not to utter any expletives during the hearing. 

"Habang kayo po ay kausap namin ngayong umaga, ang kahilingan lang po namin dito ay sana po naman respetuhin po ninyo ang quad-comm hearing na ito sa pamamagitan ng hindi paggamit ng mga vulgar words," Abante said.

(While we are talking to you this morning, our request here is for you to respect this quad-comm hearing by not using vulgar words.)

"Gusto kong sabihin sa inyo bilang warning na kapag kayo po ay nagmura sa quad-comm hearing na ito, I will make a point of order on you. Mayroon po akong batayan na batas sa tinatawag po nating 'disturbance of proceedings'," he told the former chief executive.

(I want to tell you as a warning that if you cuss here in this quad-comm hearing, I will make a point of order on you. I have a legal basis with what we call 'disturbance of proceedings'.)

Abante is a pastor-preacher.

In another instance, co-chairman Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen "Caraps" Paduano made sure to elicit just a "yes" or "no" answer from Duterte when the solon asked him on the matter of his counsels for the hearing.

Duterte, 79, was accompanied by his lawyers Martin Delgra III, Silvestre Bello III, and Salvador Panelo. 

The quad-comm is looking into Duterte’s aggressive anti-narcotics campaign, which according to crticis claimed over 30,000 lives. 

Overall chairman Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, in his own opening remarks, cited the letter sent by Delgra to him wherein the latter submitted his client Duterte’s statements before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee last Oct. 28.

HAVE YOU READ THIS?

https://mb.com.ph/2024/11/12/house-quad-comm-pushes-through-with-11th-hearing

It was the same letter wherein Duterte--through Delgra--assailed the integrity of the quad-comm and claimed that he didn't need to attend its Nov. 7 hearing.

Barbers said these statements before the Senate would be entered Wednesday as Duterte’s opening remarks.

'Takot ako sa inyo, sir'

Later, a visibly irked Paduano raised a point of order against Duterte when the latter spoke over only his second interpellator of the day, Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez. 

"The former president is speaking without the recognition of the chairman. And please former president, you know the rules...being a former congressman, you know the internal rules. Let the members of this committee finish the question...I hope the former president understands," he told Duterte.

"Nakalimutan ko na yung rules na yun (I've forgotten those rules)," said the former leader.

After a few minutes, Duterte, obviously putting his notoriously volatile temper in check, told Fernandez: "Takot ako sa inyo, sir (I'm afraid of you, sir)."

During the early part of the hearing, Duterte was put at the brink of blowing his top several times by the nagging and relentless questions from the progressive members of the House.

To keep emotions from flaring further, Barbers resorted to imposing minute-long suspensions on the proceedings several times. The hearing was only resumed after Duterte or the interpellator calmed down.