Former president Rodrigo Duterte (Malacañang photo)

The House Committee on Human Rights has invited former president Rodrigo Duterte and incumbent Senator Ronald Bato dela Rosa to attend a future hearing on the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the previous administration's bloody war on illegal drugs.  

This was suggested by no less than committee chairman, Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr., who presided over a hearing of the same topic Tuesday, June 25. 

Tuesday's hearing featured the testimonies of the relatives of 26 people slain during "one-time, big-time" anti-drug operations specifically in Caloocan City and  Cebu relatively early during Duterte's Palace tenure. 

"I'll be inviting Senator Bato Dela Rosa and former president to come and listen to your testimony kung handa kayo (if you're ready) to face him on that. Handa po ba kayo (Are you ready)?" Abante asked one of the victims' kin, who answered in the affirmative. 

Makabayan bloc solon Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas formalized the invite in a subsequent motion. 

Abante said the motion is to invite Duterte and Dela Rosa "in the next hearing after tomorrow (Wednesday)". The date of the duo's attendance is not yet known. 

What's clear, however, is the change in the Manila congressman's opinion on whether or not the former president and the latter’s former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief should be invited to the ongoing House inquiry.  

He said the heart-wrenching details shared by the drug war victims' families--particularly with how helplessly the people were slain by police--swayed him into summoning Duterte and Dela Rosa. 

READ THIS: 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/5/15/will-they-summon-duterte-house-to-probe-drug-war-killings-for-the-first-time 

"Much as I want to give courtesy to the former president and the Senator Bato dela Rosa, because of the gravity of the testimonies of these victims, they should face these people and hear the complaints," Abante said. 

"Perhaps what I'm saying is, perhaps the former president would look into his own heart and realize what he has done in the past six years. So therefore, we're going to invite him now because of this," the veteran solon added. 

Former president Duterte is the father of incumbent Vice President Sara Duterte. He is arguably the most influential critic of President Marcos.