Quad-committee probe on EJKs, Pogos not aimed at Dutertes – panel

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Chairpersons of the four House of Representatives committees tasked with jointly probing the correlation between illegal activities in Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo), the illegal drug trade, and human rights violations have maintained that the investigations are not fueled by politics.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez, Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante, and Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop dispelled notions that the quad-committee was formed to target the Dutertes, noting that they just wanted to resolve issues.

The lawmakers said this after being asked if they are trying to avoid political repercussions by not summoning former president Rodrigo Duterte, who some sectors point to as the person responsible for the growth of Pogos and human rights violations in the drug war.

READ: House OKs reso tasking panels to jointly probe Pogo, drugs, EJK issues 

“We’re not into that business, to engage in a political squabble.  No, we’re here to do our job. And our job is to find out whether the laws we have enacted in Congress are properly implemented by the Executive,” said Acop, who is senior vice chair of the public order and safety panel headed by Fernandez.

“The resource persons invited are resource persons that will help the committee in crafting legislation.  Now of course we want to invite people who are in the know, those who are aware of the incidents, those who can help us.  And if any of the committees will deem it proper to invite the former president or any resource person for that matte as long as he can help, why not?” Barbers, added.

Both Barbers and Paduano also explained that the quad-committee is not targeting the past administration, noting that the issues being investigated stemmed during the present administration.

“Let me correct you, no, that’s not with the previous administration because there is an existing […] problem with government agencies, and it is the mandate of lawmakers to look at why these are happening, so this has nothing to do with politics or anything of the previous administration,” Barbers said.

“Questions of land, questions of late registration, this never happened during the past administration, with Duterte, this happens even prior to the administration of Duterte, that’s why we cannot say that we created this committee because of that (Duterte) because if that is the case, it’s politics,” Paduano added.

Abante agreed, saying that while Duterte’s term might have triggered discussions on different issues, the compounded problems started way before the past administration took office.

“The previous administration might have triggered this investigation. It’s continuing on, that’s why we’re investigating that so that we can craft legislation to put a stop on the alleged criminal organizations that had happened, it’s continuing on eh, it’s not politics but but it’s actually trying to stop what has been happening for a number of years,” he noted.

The four committees — committee on dangerous drugs, committee on public order and safety, committee on public accounts headed by Paduano, and the committee on human rights led by Abante — were tasked under House Resolution (HR) No. 1880 to investigate the intertwined issues between Pogos, illegal drugs, and alleged extrajudicial killings.

HR No. 1880 was adopted on Tuesday during the session, via viva voce or voice voting.

The adoption of HR No. 1880 comes after Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. delivered a privilege speech during Monday’s session, highlighting the importance of a coordinated approach to pressing issues faced by the country today.

READ: P3.6-B worth of shabu seized in Pampanga warehouse 

The committee on dangerous drugs initially conducted an investigation into two anti-drug operations in Pampanga — including a controlled delivery operation where drugs from the Port of Subic were tracked down into a warehouse in Mexico, owned by Empire 999 Realty Corp.

After it was eventually revealed that the warehouse was owned by Empire 999 Realty Corporation, controlled by a certain Willie Ong, the committee dug deeper and found ties to Lincoln Ong, an individual involved in the Pharmally issue.

The committee on public order and safety headed by Fernandez meanwhile started the probe on Pogos, where it was revealed that a worker named ‘Dylan’ was sold by a Chinese friend to the Bamban hub for P300,000.

READ: Rescued Malaysian testifies Chinese sold him to Bamban Pogo for P300,000 

Some of the names mentioned in the committee on dangerous drugs’ hearing also surfaced during the discussions on Pogo sites.

Last August 1, Fernandez presented a matrix crafted by the three committees, showing key personalities being linked to the Pogos and drug operations in Central Luzon.