With the past weeks’ House Quad Committee hearings, the people saw how weak or tentative or intelligent and relevant questions were raised by the so-called “Representatives of the People” in confronting the civilian Rodrigo Roa Duterte. The co-chairmen looked like they were so conscious about the former president’s brutal handling of the presidency that they showed a bit of nervousness as they tried to explain the rules of engagement by all concerned. They appeared all along that they had to be so respectful that they made sure to call the civilian RR Duterte “Mr. President.”
Despite the widespread public knowledge of Mr. RR Duterte’s sins against the Filipino people, particularly with his “Kill Kill Kill” policy in his “War on Drugs” program (with well-known partners since his mayorship in Davao City, Police Chief Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa and aide Christopher "Bong" Go), the investigator-congressmen seemed unsure on how to behave in front of the former president.
Fear and Trembling
When called for their turn to question Mr. Duterte, they had to address him, apparently with utmost respect as if they were in front of a king! The TV viewers of the live-streamed hearing must have felt uncomfortable and wondered why these "honorable" government officials seemed afraid before this former president known for his alleged “crimes against humanity” as the International Criminal Court has known him since 2016.
Why the apparent "fear and trembling" before this former president who insulted the Filipino people’s faith in God by calling HIM “stupid”? And then went into a killing frenzy (instead of making arrests and applying due process) against suspected drug addicts and pushers, in the process killing even innocent children and youth?
Sadly, RR Duterte and his PNP have missed, until today with his fellow dynast tandem of President Bongbong Marcos and VP Sara Duterte, eliminating the big Drug Lords!
Extra Respectful
To grant him basic courtesy like all the other resource persons would have been respectful enough. These investigator-congressmen somehow felt they still had to be extra respectful, as they have been when he was the most powerful public official who acted dictator-like, giving orders like the kings of old who could order cutting off the head of anybody on a whim.
It must be noted, however, that the youthful Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel, Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, ACT Partylist Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas, and the former president’s favorite target of false accusations, former CHR commissioner and former Sen. Leila de Lima, were respectful and with their statesman interpellation managed to lead Mr. RR Duterte to admit his crimes of directly giving orders to kill suspects and reward the killer-policemen with rewards.
The eight-hour hearing resulted even in capturing on TV Mr. RR Duterte in the act of hitting with the phone handle his near-seatmate and famous prisoner for almost seven years, Atty. Leila De Lima. At any rate, what may be called an accomplishment by the House Quad Committee is that RR Duterte, under oath, dared the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate him soon “before he dies.”
Foot-Dragging Tactics
A follow-up statement (Inquirer headline) was made by President Bongbong Marcos: “DOJ EVALUATING EJK EVIDENCE VS DUTERTE.”
However, given the fact of foot-dragging, since 2016, by the enforcement agencies, PNP, DOJ, NBI, the courts, Ombudsman, Sandiganbayan, and others, the people seem to prefer the ICC to do the investigation of RR Duterte et al, for their “crimes against humanity.”
This is the longed-for hope of the Filipino people – soonest!
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