Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa (left), ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro (Facebook, PPAB)

Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa's apparent refusal to attend the House inquiry on the Duterte drug war killings is "a cowardly act". 

Thus, said House Deputy Minority Leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, who went as far to claim that the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief-turned-senator was "[attempting] to evade accountability". 

"Senator Dela Rosa should not hide behind inter-parliamentary courtesy as an excuse. The truth is, he is afraid to face the victims of the bloody drug war that he and former president [Rodrigo] Duterte orchestrated," Castro said in the statement Sunday, June 30. 

"We call on Senator Dela Rosa to reconsider his decision. If he truly believes in the righteousness of their actions, he should have no fear in facing this inquiry. The victims and their families deserve nothing less than the truth and justice,"  she said. 

The House Committee on Human Rights, which had been conducting the inquiry on the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the previous administration, had earlier invited former president Rodrigo Duterte and his one-time PNP chief Dela Rosa to attend a future hearing.  

But Dela Rosa had apparently said he will not go to such hearing. 

Castro pointed out the inconsistency in Dela Rosa's stance, noting that the senator himself had previously invited members of the House to Senate hearings. "Didn't he invite [Kabataan Party-list] Congressman Raoul Manuel to a Senate hearing? Why the double standard now?" she asked. 

Manuel, like Castro, is a member of the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives. 

HAVE YOU READ THIS? 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/29/ganging-up-kabataan-solon-chides-dela-rosa-for-refusing-to-attend-house-drug-war-probe

The lady solon also criticized Dela Rosa's claim that the justice system was working because some police officers have been convicted. "The convictions are too few and far between. As one of the architects of this bloody war on drugs, he himself should face investigation and be held accountable," she noted. 

Castro underscored that the House inquiry is a crucial step towards uncovering the truth and seeking justice for the victims of extrajudicial killings. "Senator Dela Rosa's refusal to participate only reinforces the suspicion that he has something to hide," she added. 

Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque earlier said that Duterte won't be attending the inquiry.