MANILA – Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Monday said the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee (SBRC) is set to form a subcommittee to investigate former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
The senators agreed the issue was urgent and needed to be discussed in the Senate following the revelations in the House of Representative’s Quad committee hearings,
According to Pimentel, Senate President Francis Escudero and Senator Pia Cayetano, the SBRC chairperson, have agreed to form a subcommittee and name him chairperson.
“Kung gagawin po ni Chairperson Pia Cayetano yun, tatanggapin ko po yung designation ko (If Chairperson Senator Pia Cayetano does that, I will accept the designation),” Pimentel said in a press briefing.
Under the Rules of the Senate, only the Blue Ribbon Committee can hold hearings during recess even without referrals from the plenary.
The Blue Ribbon Committee chairperson can also form a subcommittee that will be tasked to handle the inquiry.
But considering that the Senate needs to focus on the 2025 National Expenditure Program, Pimentel said the investigation needs to be fast-tracked.
“For an orderly investigation, we also need an orderly story so we will begin with the Duterte administration at 12 noon of June 30, 2016, or even days before that, until his end of term at 12 noon of June 30, 2022,” he said.
The senator also announced that the idea of having the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs chaired by Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa conduct the investigation is already out of the picture, as well as the suggestion of Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros to form a Committee of the Whole. (PNA)