Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte

Expect fireworks in the next hearing of the House of Representatives' quad-committee (quad-comm). 

The special four-way panel has invited Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte, son of former president Rodrigo Duterte, specifically to join the next hearing. 

It was last Aug. 16 when Rep. Duterte was implicated in the alleged mass importation of illegal drugs, particularly the P6.8-billion "shabu" shipment that authorities seized in 2018.  

Overall quad-comm chairman, Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers addressed during a hearing Thursday, Sept. 19 a letter coming for Rep. Duterte's office. 

Quad-comm co-chairman Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen "Caraps" Paduano was the one who raised the matter of the letter. 

"The letter states that there are questions that the Honorable Paolo Duterte wishes to ask the resource persons," Barbers said. 

"May we just ask the Committee Secretary to please make sure that the invitation will be extended to the Honorable Paolo Duterte in the next quad-comm hearing with the topic on drugs and extrajudicial killings," said the veteran solon from Surigao del Norte. 

BUT FIRST, READ THIS: 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/8/16/surprise-house-joint-panel-witness-links-pulong-vp-sara-s-husband-to-p6-8-b-shabu-shipment-in-2018

The quad-comm's hearing Thursday lasted 13 hours. The next hearing is expected to be held Wednesday, Sept. 25. 

Jailed former Bureau of Customs (BOC) intelligence officer Jimmy Guban was the resource person who linked Rep. Duterte to the illegal drug trade. 

Guban also implicated Chinese national Michael Yang and lawyer Manases "Mans" Carpio, the husband of Vice President Sara Duterte. 

Rep. Duterte and VP Duterte are siblings, while Yang is a former economic adviser of ex-president Duterte.

It should be noted that, as a House member, Rep. Duterte is free to attend any committee hearing.