Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa revealed on Wednesday that he will start a motu proprio investigation into the controversial war on drugs of the Duterte administration, and he is inviting former President Rodrigo Duterte as a key resource person for this purpose.
Delarosa made the declaration following a Senate speech made by Senator Bong Go, who said he would be willing to file a resolution there for a Senate investigation that would run parallel with a similar probe started by the House of Representatives quad committee.
When asked if Duterte would be invited to the Senate inquiry, Dela Rosa confirmed, saying, “We will invite him and his Cabinet members who can serve as resource persons.” A former chief of the Philippine National Police, Dela Rosa played a key role in the implementation of the drug crackdown ordered by Duterte, and he was yet to inform the former president of the planned Senate probe. However, he expressed confidence that Duterte would attend the hearings.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said the recommendation is worth supporting. “It will only be complete if Duterte himself is included in the investigation of that massacre; and by that, justice and transparency are indeed ensured in the entire process.”.
This was after Senator Bong Go floated the possibility of a separate investigation by the Senate into the anti-drug campaign, which is a flagship undertaking of Duterte. The probe is expected to look into the conduct and outcomes of the campaign, which has been both hailed and berated, particularly on issues related to allegations of human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings.
The Senate investigation will most likely shed light onto a conflicted war on drugs and allow a broader discussion on its impacts and accountability within the government.
