The Quad Comm looking into extrajudicial killings (EJKs), among other issues, vowed to render justice to victims of EJKs and human rights violations during the Duterte administration.
Lead panel chairman, Rep. Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte, made the promise Oct. 11 at the start of Quad Comm’s eighth hearing, during which some EJK victims, family members, and other witnesses were set to tell or retell their painful stories.
“We will continue to hear your stories, seek out justice and truth, and fight for your rights, in the face of threats to suppress them. Those who violated our laws should be brought to justice,” said Barbers, who chairs the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs.
He said the House would be open to any victim, family member, or witness, who wants to share their sad experiences in the hands of rouge law enforcers involved in the brutal war on illegal drugs.
Barbers pointed out that the Oct. 11 witnesses were “inspired by Quad Comm’s success in the Barayuga murder case” and “have decided to come forward to help us tell the nation and the world the evil they have experienced, so that, just like in the Nuremberg trials of World War II atrocities, these horrible acts may not happen again, their perpetrators brought to justice, and laws may be amended, introduced and crafted to guarantee these ends.”
He said in a press release from the Office of Speaker Martin Romualdez that the witnesses were to “recount to us their horrible experiences and retell their painful stories, this time around, without fear and with renewed hope that Quad Comm may be the instrument to find their closures and the justice that has eluded them for years.”
The lead Quad Comm chairman emphasized that the Constitution empowers Congress to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation so it can make an informed decision in crafting or amending laws. ||
