Santa Rosa lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez (left), Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa (Facebook)

Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez said it's "unfair" for Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa to accuse Speaker Martin Romualdez of being the person responsible for the House quad-committee (quad-comm) hearings, which has so far implicated former president Rodrigo Duterte and his allies in extrajudicial killings (EJKs). 

Fernandez, one of the four co-chairmen of quad-comm, chided Dela Rosa for his tirade on the House leader In a television interview Friday, Aug. 30. 

“So kung i-accuse nila si Speaker na binuo namin ito or nangyari ito dahil sa utos ng Speaker, that is so unfair. And ako mismo, hindi ako papayag na gamitin ako para sa isang political agenda,” he said. 

(That is so unfair if they're accussing the Speaker of ordering us to form this [quad-comm]. I wouldn't allow myself to be used for a political agenda. 

“After all, I'm not running for any higher position, I mean sa national, but hindi naman ito makaka-apekto sa amin [sa lokal]. That's the reason why nang binabanggit na may politika, may utos si Speaker, eh ako alam mo 300-plus kami mga congressmen doon and they can never dictate on us,” Fernandez added. 

(After all, I'm not running for any higher position, I mean in the national scene, but this can't affect us in the local level. That's the reason why when politics was mentioned, and that it was the Speaker's order, you know there are more than 300 of us congressmen there and they can never dictate on us.) 

Duterte and Dela Rosa are critics of President Marcos. Romualdez is Marcos' cousin and top ally in the legislature. 

Dela Rosa made the allegation against the Speaker a day after Police Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido revealed in a quad-comm hearing that a “kill” quota and a reward system for policemen were implemented during Duterte’s brutal war on drugs. 

Espenido claimed that the reward system was funded with hundreds of millions, perhaps billions, in intelligence funds and money from jueteng, small-town lotteries (STL) and illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). 

The veteran policeman said that the funds were disbursed from the level of Duterte's close aide and now Senator Christopher "Bong" Go. 

Dela Rosa expressed fears that the evidence discussed by the quad-comm may be used against him and Duterte in the International Criminal Court (ICC). 

The ICC is looking at crimes against humanity in relation to the war on drugs.