New York-based Human Rights Watch has published a report detailing the impact of President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war on Filipino children, whose parents or guardians were killed in the Philippine government's anti-narcotic operations. Fernando G. Sepe Jr., ABS-CBN News/file

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee will have its first hearing on the war on drugs at 10am on Monday, October 28.

Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel, chairman of the Senate justice committee, will preside over the hearings.

The move for the Senate to conduct its own drug war probe was floated following several exposés from the House Quad Committee accusing former President Rodrigo Duterte, Sen. Bong Go, and Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa of incentivizing drug war killings — which the two senators denied.

Bong Go defends Duterte after Garma exposé but distances self from drug war

Dela Rosa said he wants his own Senate investigation on the war on drugs that he led from July 2016 to April 2018 to counter hearings at the House of Representatives “to accord fairness to people mentioned in the inquiry there.”

'Check and balance': Dela Rosa plans Senate hearings on drug war he used to lead

He earlier denied that a reward system had been put up to pay police officers who carried out the killings. 

"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.

Bato says he has 'no idea' about alleged reward system for cops in drug war

Senate President Francis Escudero earlier said the Senate will launch its own drug war probe “as early as next week or before Congress resumes its sessions in November”.

Escudero eyes launch of Senate drug war probe next week, likely under Cayetano-led panel

While "official" government data said 6,181 people were killed in Duterte administration’s war on drugs, several rights group believed up to 30,000 may have been killed, some innocent victims, and that corruption was allegedly rife among security forces that acted with impunity.

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.