Then Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald Dela Rosa. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File photo 

MANILA (2nd UPDATE) — Sen. Ronald dela Rosa will be calling a Senate investigation on the war on drugs that he led from July 2016 to April 2018 to counter hearings at the House of Representatives and, he said, to accord fairness to people mentioned in the inquiry there.

Dela Rosa said he has not spoken to his former boss, former President Rodrigo Duterte, but that he believes he would be more willing to face the Senate than the House.

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Former police colonel Royina Garma last week told members of the House that Duterte had called her in May 2016 for help in setting up a task force that would replicate Davao City's anti-drug campaign nationwide.

She also said that so-called drug war had a rewards system for drug personalities killed, with amounts depending on the person killed was an alleged street-level pusher or an alleged big-time dealer.

The PNP has acknowledged the deaths of more than 6,000 in its anti-drug operations, saying also that those who were killed had violently resisted arrest.

PANEL PLANS TO SUMMON DUTERTE, EX-CABINET MEMBERS

"Yeah, ipapatawag natin, ipapatawag natin at pati yung mga kung sino-sino pa yung mga Cabinet member niya noon na puwede nating maging resource person puwede natin ipapatawag," Dela Rosa, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, said.

(Yes, we will summon him. We will summon him and other former members of the Cabinet who can be resource persons — we can summon them too)

Dela Rosa said he believes Duterte would attend the Senate hearing if the invitation comes from his former Philippine National Police chief.

Dela Rosa is a member of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino, the party that Duterte leads.

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In a statement, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada said Duterte's attendance in the planned hearings "is essential" for justice and transparency in the Senate inquiry.

"Mahalaga na mabigyan ng boses ang lahat lalo na kung ang layunin ng imbestigasyon ay linawin ang mga hakbang na ginawa ng nakaraang administrasyon," he said.

(It is important that all are given a voice, especially if the investigation is meant to shed light on the steps that the previous administration took)

Estrada pointed out that it would not be the first time for a former president to appear at a Senate hearing. 

"And in these proceedings, the Senate has demonstrated a high level of respect towards former presidents, including my father, while pursuing crucial information."

HEARINGS TO BE HELD DURING SESSION BREAK

He said his committee can initiate the hearing on its own but that a resolution that Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go — Duterte's close aide and who has been implicated in the drug war by former police colonel Garma — plans to file could also initiate the Senate's own investigation into drug war killings.

"After November, after sa Undas, puro na tayo budget hearing. So, if possible kahit ngayong during the session break gagawin natin 'yan," he said.

(After November and the Undas break, we will be busy with budget hearings. So, if possible, we can hold the hearings during the session break)

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III — Senate president from July 2016 to May 2018 — said he supports a fresh investigation into the war on drugs, saying government officials who were remiss in their duty to solve and prevent extrajudicial killings.

"We must bring the criminals to justice, while those who are incompetent in solving or even investigating these crimes must be removed from the service," he said.

In a separate statement, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel said that the potential Senate investigation should not serve to shield members who were involved in the war on drugs.

"Ang mga imbestigasyon sa Kamara at Senado ay dapat in aid of legislation, hindi in aid of self-preservation," he said.

(Investigations at the House and Senate should be in aid of legislation, not in aid of self-preservation)

RESOLUTION FOR PROBE INTO SHABU SMUGGLING ALLEGATIONS

Dela Rosa said he could also hold the hearings based on a resolution that he filed in September to investigate the alleged involvement of certain incumbent and former government officials in the importation of shabu through magnetic lifters in 2018.

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The resolution was prompted by allegations made by former Bureau of Customs intelligence officer Jimmy Guban, who alleged at a House hearing that Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, lawyer Manases Carpio, and former Presidential Economic Adviser Michael Yang, who owned the magnetic lifters where P11 billion in illegal drugs had been concealed.

Go has in recent days said he is ready to file a resolution for a separate Senate probe by Dela Rosa's Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs.

"Oo, sa akin babagsak. I-hear natin, mag-hearing tayo para naman macounter yung kung anong mga ginagawa ng lower house," he said, adding the parallel probe would provide a "check and balance" on the House, a separate and co-equal chamber of Congress.

(Yes, it will fall to me. We will hold a hearing to counter what they are doing at the lower house)

'FOR FAIRNESS'

Dela Rosa said he had been reluctant to hold hearings since doing so might be seen as self-serving but said that the House quad comm — four panels holding the joint hearings into issues during the Duterte administration — seemed to be accepting resource speakers' statements "hook, line and sinker — as gospel and truth."

He said Go, also of PDP,  only wants the investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings in the drug war "to be fair". 

He said people named at the House hearings who do not want to appear before the quad comm can go to the Senate instead.

"Dito sa committee hearings na gagawin dito sa Senado, then puwede silang magpalabas ng kanilang mga saloobin to give fairness," he said.

(They can come to the committee hearings that will be held at the Senate, they can air their side here, to give fairness)

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'NO REWARD SYSTEM FOR DRUG WAR KILLINGS'

Dela Rosa, who, over the weekend said there was no reward system for drug personalities killed in the drug war, said Wednesday that police intelligence funds were not used for reward money either.

"Intelligence fund 'yan eh. Ang nakakaalam lang niyan yung holder of the funds. Kung 'yan ay Office of the President, sila lang nakakaalam diyan kung saan lang gagamitin. Kasi ako, 'yung intelligence fund ko na PNP ay ginagamit ko talaga sa intelligence units. Dinidistribute yan down the line up to the police station," Dela Rosa said.

(Those are intelligence funds. Only the holder of the funds know what happens to it. If it is the Office of the President, then only they will know where that was spent. But for me, the PNP intelligence fund was really used for intelligence units. We distributed that down the line, up to the police stations)