Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. (left), Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa (Facebook)

A co-chairman of the quad-committee (quad-comm)--Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa's favorite punching bag as of late--has dared the latter to face the special joint panel in the House of Representatives if he has something to say. 

This, as Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. chided Dela Rosa for allegedly using the media to divert attention instead of appearing before the quad-comm and answering the issues being hurled at him.

“Ang ating senador Bato dela Rosa, nung tinanong siya, ayaw naman niyang humarap sa amin. Pinapaharap namin para maging malinaw ang lahat ng bagay. Anong ginagawa niya? Nagpupunta sa media. Kung anu-ano ang pinagsasabi niya,” Abante said during the quad-comm’s 14th hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

(Our senator, Bato dela Rosa, has refused to face us when we invited him. We invited him here to give clarity to everything. What did he do? He went to the media. He's been saying a lot of things.)

Abante says the purpose of the committee hearings is not political, but is driven by the pursuit of truth and accountability. 

“Kung meron man ditong nagsasabi na we’re gathered here because of politics, gusto naming humarap siya dito para sabihin sa amin directly,” the Manila lawmaker said, as he urged detractors like Dela Rosa to address their concerns head-on.

(If there was ever somebody who said that we’re gathered here because of politics, we want that person to face us here and tell us directly.)

Earlier this month, Dela Rosa told the quad-comm to focus its energy on investigating the prevalence of crime in the country, instead of using their resources in detaining former and current officers "who are serving the land in good faith".

"Kaya mas lalong lumakas loob ng mga kriminal, lumakas ang loob ng mga drug pusher, ng mga drug lord dahil wala na silang kinakatakutan. Hindi na sila natatakot sa mga awtoridad dahil ‘yung awtoridad, iniipit nila sa quad-comm (That's why the criminals have become more emboldened, the drug pushers and drug lords have gained more confidence because they no longer have anything to fear. They are no longer afraid of the authorities because the quad-comm is squeezing the authorities into a corner)," the senator said.

Dela Rosa was the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief when former president launched his bloody war on drugs in 2016. 

The quad-comm had repeatedly invited the ex-top cop to answer allegations about his part in the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) of the drug war, where an estimated 30,000 people where slain.

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Abante pointed out that despite the heavy-handed approach of the previous Duterte administration, the illegal drug problem persists. 

“Ang question dito ay ito: nawala ba? Hindi nawala ang drugs, ganoon pa rin. Ang inaakala po namin dito ay baka naman tinanggal natin ang kumpetisyon para ang maiwan na lamang sa drug trade ay ‘yung mga nasa kapangyarihan,” he said.

(The question here is: did it completely go away? Drugs didn't go away, it's still the same. What we suspect here is that maybe only the competition was eliminated so that the players who would remain in the drug trade were those in power.)

He further accused certain law enforcement officials of failing in their duty to uphold the law and instead becoming instruments of abuse. 

“Those entrusted with the duty to protect have enabled injustice. Those who swore to uphold the law have hidden behind silence,” Abante remarked.

Tuesday's hearing is considered the "first episode" of "season three" of the popular quad-comm hearing. It is the mega-panel's first hearing of 2025.

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Dark chapter

During the same hearing, Assistant Minority Leader Camarines Sur 3rd district Representative Gabriel Bordado Jr. urged lawmakers to take decisive action following the adoption of the quad-comm's report on EJKs.

In a manifestation, Bordado called for justice for the victims of the previous administration’s controversial war on drugs, which he described as a dark chapter in Philippine history.

“Mr. Chairman, I wish to echo the voices of countless families whose loved ones fell victim to the tragic consequences of the previous administration’s war on drugs...These innocent lives, taken without due process, cry out for justice—a justice that this august chamber has seriously considered by adopting the House [quad-comm] report on extrajudicial killings,” he said.

Bordado emphasized that the move was a significant step toward accountability, and at the same time demonstrated a commitment to uphold the rule of law.

“This is not simply a matter of looking back at a dark chapter in our history. It is about ensuring that no administration—present or future—will ever again exploit the powers of government to wage a war that disregards due process, human dignity, and the rule of law,” he stressed.

It was last Dec. 18 when quad-comm overall chairman, Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers presented the partial committee report of the special four-way panel in plenary. 

Former president Duterte and his allies Senators Dela Rosa and Christopher "Bong" Go headlined the list of personalities who should be slapped with "appropriate charges" based on the progress report.