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Roque: FPRRD declines to attend House drug war inquiry

Philippines | Luzon

Roque: FPRRD declines to attend House drug war inquiry

By Ivy Tejano

DAVAO CITY – Former President Rodrigo Duterte has opted not to attend the House Committee on Human Rights inquiry into the war on drugs, citing his right against self-incrimination, said former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.

FORMER President Duterte (right) with Sen. Bong Go. (FB)

Roque said in a statement that the former Chief Executive is prepared to appear in any Philippine court to address any criminal accusations concerning extrajudicial killings linked to the illegal drug war campaign.

“As guaranteed by our Bill of Rights, Congress cannot compel FPRRD to be a witness against himself. Our former President firmly believes that the Lower House is not the proper forum to investigate any criminal allegation against him,” Roque said.

Roque said that FPRRD is fearless about confronting all who accuse him in any local court and is willing to cooperate and partake in any criminal inquiry, provided that Filipino prosecutors oversee the process.

Citing the Supreme Court ruling on People vs. Ayson (1989) and Rosete vs. Lim (2006), Roque said the right against self-incrimination allows a person the choice to decline to answer questions that may incriminate him or her rather than completely forbidding the question itself.

He said that every person who gives evidence, whether voluntary or under compulsion of subpoena, in any civil, criminal, or administrative proceeding is accorded the same constitutional right.

On June 25, the House invited Duterte and Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, a former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), to respond to issues on extrajudicial killings that allegedly occurred during the past administration’s anti-drug campaign.

Roque said that any witness, whether a party or not, can refuse to answer questions that may incriminate him for some crime.

Related Tags

President Duterte Davao City War on drugs

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