Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez (left), Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. (PPAB)

In a strange twist of events, two co-chairmen of the House quad-committee (quad-comm) volunteered to be resource persons of the mega-panel's hearing Tuesday, Jan. 21 on the topic of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the previous Duterte administration. 

The co-chairmen-turned-panel witnesses were Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez and Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr.

Fernandez and Abante took their oaths to tell the truth before settling in their seats on the same row as Police Col. Hector Grijaldo.

Earlier, Grijaldo accused the two quad-comm co-chairmen of coercing him to corroborate former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma’s testimony about an alleged reward system for killing drug suspects during former president Rodrigo Duterte's bloody war on drugs.

Fernandez and Abante have denied Grijaldo's accusations, which he made during an earlier Senate hearing.

So eager were the two to debunk Grijaldo's claims Tuesday that they inhibited themselves from the hearing and requested to join the proceedings as resource persons.

"We can also be asked [questions] by the members of this committee...we're willing to go down and vacate our seat here," Fernandez said.

Quad-comm overall chairman, Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers then allowed his two congressmen-colleagues to sit with other resource persons invited to the hearing.

They sat near Grijaldo, who had earlier been cited for contempt and ordered detained due to his non-appearance in past hearings.

Solons can be cited for contempt 

A stickler for rules, quad-comm vice chairman Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop wondered rather amusingly if the two House members could be cited for contempt "if they're found lying". 

Barbers responded in the affirmative, and advised the two solons that "Any member who find you not cooperate, or evading questions from this representation and others, there is no prohibition under our rules that we cannot cite you in contempt."

The quad-comm hearings--which draw thousands, if not millions of viewers--are known for the many instances wherein resource persons are cited for contempt. 

Acop agreed with Barbers' ruling. "I think the two distinguished gentlemen (Fernandez and Abante) were the ones who volunteered to become resource persons. We did require them to become resource persons."

"And therefore, when they volunteered to become resource persons, then our rules regarding resource persons must apply," Acop added.

Fernandez said he "submits" to the Antipolo lawmaker's explanation. 

Abante then told Barbers in a tongue-in-cheek manner, "Mr. Chair, may I request that we will be cited in contempt, that I would be arrested in my own room...confined in my own room. That's my request, Mr. chair."

Grijaldo 'out of order' 

When Deputy Speaker Quezon 1st district Rep. David "Jay-jay" Suarez grilled Grijaldo about his accusation against Fernandez and Abante, the Philippine National Police (PNP) official said he was standing by his affidavit.

He also repeatedly told the quad-comm that he was "invoking his right against self-incrimination".

Barbers said Grijaldo's response was "out of order", since Suarez wasn't asking him anything that was self-incriminating". In fact, Suarez was asking him to confirm the contents of his own affidavit.

Suarez said Grijaldo's accusation against the two sitting solons "tarnished the reputation of the House of Representatives".