Outgoing Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. is leaving it up to the House "Young Guns" bloc to continue the work of the quad-committee (quad-comm) in the 20th Congress.
Abante, one of the four co-chairmen of the quad-comm, made this appeal of sorts during the 15th and final hearing of the mega-panel on Monday, June 9. The current 19th Congress will adjourn sine die on Wednesday, June 11.
The importance of the quad-comm's mission statement wasn't lost on the Manila solon, who won't coming back when the House reconvenes in July.
"I would even believe that the President is even watching this quad-comm hearing right now. Do you know why? Because he would like everything to be done with transparency and honesty and incorruptibility," Abante said.
"I would even suppose that our good Speaker [Martin Romualdez] is watching right now. Why? Because the quad-comm [was formed], Mr. Chair, to be able to address these nagging problems in our country right now," he reckoned.
"Unfortunately we are about to hang our gloves and end this hearing. Asking perhaps the Young Guns to continue this in the next Congress," Abante said, as he looked over to the members of the clique who attended the hearing.
The Young Guns--which represent the new blood of the House of Representatives--have been active participants in public hearings, and the quad-comm is no exception. Its members include Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro, La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega, and Cagayan de Oro 1st district Rep. Lordan Suan.
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 three other outgoing quad-comm leaders are overall chairman Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, and co-chairmen Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez and Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen "Caraps" Paduano.
Barbers, Fernandez, and Paduano chair the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, on Public Order and Safety, and on Public Accoints, respectively in the current 19th Congress.
Abante, who lost in his reelection bid last month, chairs the Committee on Human Rights.
He acknowledged that the human rights panel still has work to do in the 20th Congress.
"Sa 20th Congress na lamang, nandyan pa naman si Congressman Zia [Alonto Adiong], Congressman [Lordan] Suan, at yung mga Young Guns po natin. Sila na po bahala dito kung wala nang babalik sa atin," Abante said.
(In the 20th Congress, we still have Congressman Zia [Alonto Adiong], Congressman [Lordan] Suan, and our Young Guns. They will take care of this if no one from us returns.)
"Pwede po ba, Congressman Zia? Tutal ikaw naman ang senior vice chair ng Committee on Human Rights. Ikaw na maging principal author ulit ng 20th Congress sa ammendment ng charter ng Commission on Human Rights," he asked the Mindanaoan, who gave the thumbs up sign.
(Can you do that, Congressman Zia? After all, you are the senior vice chair of the Committee on Human Rights. Can you once again be the principal author in the 20th Congress for the amendment of the Commission on Human Rights charter?)
Quad-comm's overall vice chairman, Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop, was reelected in the May polls.