The House of Representatives quad committee has recommended filing crimes against humanity complaints against former President Rodrigo Duterte and several key allies for their alleged roles in extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the administration’s war on drugs.
During his sponsorship speech at the House session on Wednesday, Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the lead presiding officer of the quad committee, announced the recommendation to charge Duterte and the following individuals under Republic Act No. 9851, or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity:
Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa
Former special assistant to the president and Senator Christopher Lawrence Go
Former PNP chiefs Oscar Albayalde and Debold Sinas
Former police colonel Royina Garma
Former National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo
Senator Go’s aide, Irmina “Muking” Espino
“These actions underscore the progress achieved through our investigations in addressing systemic crimes and abuses. We have also recommended amendments to relevant laws […] to strengthen our legal frameworks and prevent such abuses in the future,” Barbers said.
Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop, overall vice chairperson of the quad committee, summarized the findings of 13 hearings conducted by the panels. He described evidence of a “grand criminal enterprise” with Duterte at its center. Acop said testimonies from witnesses such as dismissed Police Colonel Eduardo Acierto, former Customs intelligence officer Jimmy Guban, ex-Customs broker Mark Taguba, and self-confessed hitman Arturo Lascañas pointed to key officials with close ties to Duterte.
Acop highlighted allegations that individuals linked to the illegal drug trade, including former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang, were shielded from thorough investigation. He noted that instead of acting on Acierto’s report implicating Yang, Duterte threatened the whistleblower.
The quad committee’s investigation also scrutinized Duterte’s relatives and allies for their alleged involvement in smuggling, drug trade, and illegal activities linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hubs.
Witnesses Guban and Taguba accused Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, Duterte’s son, of leading the “Davao Group,” which was implicated in smuggling operations, including the 2018 entry of shabu concealed in magnetic lifters.
Rep. Duterte has denied the allegations, claiming he did not know Guban or Taguba. Similarly, Michael Yang was discussed in relation to POGO-linked activities and illegal drugs, but Duterte himself told the committee he would “personally kill Yang” if evidence against him emerged.
The committee’s findings and recommendations signal a significant escalation in the accountability efforts surrounding the Duterte administration’s controversial war on drugs.