Former president Rodrigo Duterte (Keith Bacongco/ MANILA BULLETIN)

On Nov. 13, 2024, former president Rodrigo Duterte subjected himself to a 13-hour grilling before the House quad-committee (quad-comm) that was investigating the alleged carnage that was his war on drugs.

The significance of his statements during that hearing wasn't lost on House of Representatives members in light Duterte's arrest by the International Police (Interpol) Tuesday, March 11. 

This, as the Interpol acted on a warrant of arrest issued by The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with Duterte's charge of crimes against humanity during his term.

It was during that particular quad-comm hearing when the 79-year-old rather confidently said that he wasn't scared of a probe by the ICC. Duterte even said that the United Nations (UN)-backed body "come here and start the investigation" immediately. 

“I’m asking the ICC to hurry up and if possible they can come here and start the investigation tomorrow...This issue has been left hanging for so many years," he told the special joint panel.

“The ICC does not scare me a bit. They can come here anytime. I suppose that you would want to maybe, make it easy for them to visit and start the investigation,” the ex-president said.

These remarks caused Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña to react on Tuesday: "Hurry up, ICC pala, ha? (You told ICC to hurry up, right?) You asked for it, now here it is." 

"Take full responsibility for the thousands of deaths caused by your bloody and morally bankrupt war on drugs," Cendaña added.

Incidentally, during the Nov. 13 hearing, Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro managed to draw an "extrajudicial confession of guilt" from Duterte in relation to the infamous anti-drug campaign.

"I ordered the campaign against the drug syndicates. At kung anong ginawa nila, whether illegal or not, it was--ako ang nag-utos (And whatever they did, whether illegal or not, it was I who ordered it)," Duterte told the quad-comm.

"In that sense, I take that responsibility of their actions. Wala akong magawa eh, commander ako, nag-utos ako. Pag may nangyari dyan, nagka-bulilyaso, whether right or wrong, iyo yan. Iyo talaga yan," he explained. 

(I can't do anything, I'm the commander, I made the order. If something goes awry, whether right or wrong, that's on you. That's really on you.)

Looking back, Bataan 1st district Rep. Geraldine Roman can't help but comment that former president's own words added weight to the case against him.

"By his own admission, sinabi niya na nagpapapatay siya. Sabi ko nga, counter-intuitive ito—bihira kang makakita ng isang tao na inaamin mismo ang kanyang kasalanan sa harap ng publiko," she said Tuesday.

(By his own admission, he said that he orders the killings. I said to myself, this is counter-intuitive--it's rare to see a person who publicly admits his wrongdoings.)

Roman said the quad-comm--led by overall chairman Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers--has done its part in giving clarity to the Duterte's hand in the bloody drug war. 

"Ano ba ang partisipasyon ng quad-comm? Magmula noong nagsimula yung quad-comm [August] 2024, marami tayong nadiskubre. Mga bagay-bagay na nakakalungkot, nagkaroon ng tinig yung mga biktima nitong war against drugs," she said.

(What has been the participation of quad-comm? We have discovered a lot since the start of quad-comm hearings in August 2024. These are things that are saddening, the victims of the war against drugs gained a voice.