Duterte to be summoned to Senate-led drug war probe, says Bato

Former President Rodrigo Duterte. Screengrab from Basta Dabawenyo podcast.

MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte will be called into a separate drug war probe that his allies in the Senate plan to initiate during the session break.

The investigation will be conducted by the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, chaired by Duterte’s former police chief, now Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.

“Yes, we will call him as well as his former Cabinet members who could serve as resource persons,” Dela Rosa said in a phone interview with Senate reporters on Wednesday.

READ: Duterte, dela Rosa invited to House hearing on drug war deaths

Although he has yet to inform Duterte about his planned probe, Dela Rosa is confident that the former president would face the committee.

“Not yet,”  when asked if had already discussed this with Duterte. “But there’s a good chance he will attend if we invite him because he seems more comfortable here in the Senate than in the lower house.”

Duterte and Dela Rosa have been repeatedly invited by the  House of  Representatives’ quad-committee, which has been investigating the bloody war on drugs during the previous administration.

READ: Bong Go wants Senate to probe Duterte admin’s drug war

According to Dela Rosa,  his committee can conduct a motu propio investigation on the same issue since there is already a pending resolution transmitted to the panel in connection with the alleged involvement of Duterte’s son,  Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, and other personalities into smuggling of drugs.

“Yes, that’s definite during the break,” the senator said when pressed about the schedule of the probe.

“It will be motu propio first while the resolution from Sen. Christopher ‘Bong’ Go has not yet been referred to us.,”  he added.

Go earlier expressed his intent to file a resolution seeking the Senate’s own investigation into the Duterte administration’s drug war.