The House of Representatives is set to tie the loose ends of the quad-committee (quad-comm) hearings and similar gripping investigations carries out by the chamber in the 19th Congress.
Led by overall chairman, outgoing three-term Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the quad-comm submitted to plenary its partial committee report last in December 2024.
In its scheduled final hearing on Monday, June 9, the quad-comm is expected to submit its final committee report and recommendations.
Since August 2024, the quad-comm has been looking into the alleged interconnected issues of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), extrajudicial killings (EJKs), money-laundering, illegal drugs, and former president Rodrigo Duterte's bloody war on drugs.
The highest profile witness or resource person who attended the series of marathon hearings held by the joint panel was ex-president Duterte himself.
Endlessly monetized by enterprising vloggers, the quad-comm has given it's share of viral moments, and at its height was akin to must-see television.
Also expected to be concluded in these final two weeks of the 19th Congress is the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability's investigation on then allegedl misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd)--two offices that had been controlled by Vice President Sara Duterte.
Chaired by reelected Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua, the good government panel will hold its last hearing on Wednesday, June 4, during which it will also submit its final report plus recommendations.
Through its own marathon hearings, the Chua panel that made public pieces of evidence that led to the impeachment of Vice President Duterte. The 11-person House prosecution team, which includes Chua, is eagerly awaiting the start of her Senate impeachment trial.
Meanwhile, the tri-committee (tri-comm) and quinta-committee (quinta-comm) will also hold their final hearings in the 19th Congress on Thursday, June 5 and Wednesday, June 11, respectively. These joint panels will also be approving their respective committee reports and recommendations for plenary consideration.
The tri-comm, led by overall chairman outgoing Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez, sought to determine the accountability of some content creators like vloggers and social media influencers for peddling fake news. It also sought the platforms’ response to the spread of coordinated disinformation.
On the other hand, the quinta-comm, led by overall chairman outgoing Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda, primarily tackled the problem of the high cost of rice as well as ways to bring it down for the benefit of Filipinos. The joint panel took on the moniker of "Murang Pagkain Super-committee".
The House of Representatives resumed sessions in the 19th Congress on Mondauy, June 2 following a four-month recess. It will adjourn sine die on June 11.