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Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez said the House quad-committee has renewed its commitment to help bring justice to all those who lost loved ones during the supposed bloodbath that was the previous Duterte administration’s war on drugs. 

“As we remember our departed loved ones on All Souls’ Day, we are reminded of the countless Filipino families who grieve the loss of loved ones taken too soon...Our task is to ensure that these stories are neither silenced nor forgotten,” Fernandez, a co-chairman of the mega-panel, said ina statement on Nov. 2. 

“The road to justice may be challenging, but the quad-comm remains resolute in its duty. Our work is far from over, and we will not rest until we have brought the truth to light,” the Laguna lawmaker emphasized. 

The special four-way panel has been looking into the complicity of former president Rodrigo Duterte in the drug war, as well as that of his closest aides. 

Official government data cites over 6,000 deaths resulting from police operations during the campaign between 2016 and 2021. However, human rights organizations and advocates estimate the number to be significantly higher, potentially ranging from 27,000 to 30,000. 

In an Oct. 11 hearing of the House quad-comm, former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma accused Duterte of spearheading in 2016 a cash reward-driven system that allegedly encouraged police officers to kill drug suspects.

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Garma was an appointee of Duterte's. Her bombshell arguably convinced the Senate to conduct parallel investigation through the Blue Ribbon Committee. 

“The findings so far illustrate a deeply troubling trend where violence was incentivized, and accountability was ignored. The evidence underscores the urgent need for justice, not only for the victims but for the integrity of our legal and law enforcement systems,” Fernandez said. 

“This is about more than just accountability—it is about restoring faith in our institutions and ensuring that no Filipino, regardless of their social or economic status, is ever denied justice,” concluded the quad-comm co-chairman.  

The next quad-comm hearing will be held on Nov. 6.