Inquirer’s screaming headline: “HOUSE TAGS DU30, ET AL, FOR ‘CRIMES VS HUMANITY’.” Yes, “ET AL” refers to Senators Christopher ‘Bong’ Go and Ronald ‘Bato’dela Rosa, former PNP chiefs Oscar Albayalde and Debold Sinas. Others implicated with Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s crimes are: former Cebu police chief Royina Garma, former National Police Edilberto Leonardo, Go’s aide, Herminia “Muking” Espino, Police Lt. Col. Sante Mendoza, former PNP Officer Nelson Mariano, Police Senior Master Sgt. Jeremy Causapin, one alias “Loloy,” former PNP Officers Arthur Narsolis and Gerardo Padilla, Wille Ong aka Cai Qimeng, Yang Jiazheng aka Aedy Tai Yang, Davao Rep. Paolo Duterte, Davao City Councilor Nilo Abellera Jr.,former chief of presidential task force for media Paul Gutierrez, former National Irrigation (NIA) administrator Benny Antiporda, Jojo Bacud, “Tita Nene” and Allen Capuyen, Michael Yang, former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Whirlwind Inc. shareholder Cassandra Li Ong and former Bamban Mayor Alice Go.
Such were the names mentioned in the Quad Committee’s 43-page report – culled after 13 hearings from Aug. 16 to Dec. 12. Quad committee chair and Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said “These investigations brought to light a harrowing narrative of abuse of power and institutional impunity during the Duterte administration…This is a defining moment for this Congress. It is an opportunity to uphold the rule of law, protect our nation’s sovereignty, and deliver justice to those who have been wronged.” Indeed, as Human rights committee chair Rep. Bienvenido Abante said in his sponsorship speech, “the time for reckoning has come…After 13 rigorous and thorough hearings, we have gathered competent evidence to make the appropriate recommendations.”
Doubtless, millions of Filipinos of goodwill were elated with this development as a commendable accomplishment of Congress.
BUT, doubtless, too, especially for those who personally suffered greatly from the time Rodrigo Roa Duterte launched his “kill kill kill” policy since he became Davao City mayor and later retained the same bloody policy as president, they had an urgent prayer.
They wished and kept hoping that the legislators in congress and many other public officials should have spoken and acted outright against the blatant violations of the Rule of Law and the Constitution by Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his partners-in-crime.
Help For EJK Families
In particular, the families of the EJK victims expected help -- the timely voice and action against Duterte’s crimes -- by their LGU governors and mayors, the AFP generals and PNP chiefs, the big lawyers’ groups such as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) and the Philippine Bar Association (PBA), as well the Church bishops and clergy. (It must be noted, however, that few intrepid souls and groups, such as those Red-tagged or deemed “leftist,” or “Makabayan,” were fearless like the Prophets of old.) Then, there would have been much less victims of Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s crimes.
The public officials who were mandated to follow the Constitution and the Rule of Law failed to act forthrightly against Rodrigo Roa Duterte for his crimes as mayor and as president.
Conscience
Speculations by concerned Filipinos, or even the many groups and individuals fighting for truth, justice and good governance could only speculate that: (1)these public officials were aware of the crimes committed but were afraid of Duterte’s Davao Death Squad (DDS); (2) they were simply unconcerned and hoped other public officials will take the cudgels for the victims; (3) they were allied with Duterte’s party and preferred to keep their mouth shut; and (4) they were Duterte’s partners in carrying out the crimes, since they were somehow benefiting from such crimes.
As for the IBP and PBA, and the Church bishops and clergy, except for a handful, their silence was so loud that people could only shake their heads, and pray “May their conscience, if any, prod them to help in some way the victims of injustices committed by the evil public officials and friends of Rodrigo Roa Duterte!”
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