MANILA — Senate Minority Leader and Justice Committee Chair Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III revealed on Thursday that the upcoming Senate probe into former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war will feature testimonies from around four victims.
In a text message, Pimentel also welcomed the participation of Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who oversaw Duterte’s drug war as police chief, saying dela Rosa could provide valuable insights during the hearings.
Pimentel estimates that about three hearings will be sufficient to cover the drug war’s key issues. He is considering Senator Joel Villanueva as a potential Subcommittee chairperson for the investigation.
Pimentel will preside over the hearing in place of Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chair Senator Pia Cayetano, who is attending an energy summit.
The decision for the Senate to launch its own inquiry into the drug war comes after various revelations surfaced during the House Quad Committee hearings. One of these was retired police colonel Royina Garma’s claim that a cash reward system was in place for every drug suspect killed.
Pimentel, a former member of the PDP-Laban party during Duterte’s presidency, now leads a faction that no longer includes Duterte, Senator Ronald dela Rosa, or Senator Bong Go, all of whom were mentioned in recent House hearings on the drug war.
Cayetano, dela Rosa, and Go, who were all part of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago administration coalition, secured Senate seats in 2019.