HINAMON ng isa sa mga lider ng Young Guns ng Kamara de Representantes si dating Pangulong Rodrigo R. Duterte na tuparin ang ipinangakong pagharap sa quad committee katulad ng ginawang pagdalo nito sa Senate Blue Ribbon committee.

“Elected leaders should have the courage to practice the virtue of having a word of honor,” ani House Assistant Majority Leader Zia Alonto Adiong ng Lanao del Sur.

“Filipinos know the former president as someone with palabra de honor. Throughout his political career, especially during his decades as mayor of Davao City, he built a reputation as a man of his word. This integrity is largely why people repeatedly placed their trust in him,” dagdag ng solon.

Ipinunto ni Adiong na mahalaga ang presensya ni Duterte sa imbestigasyon sa Huwebes, na magbibigay ng pagkakataon sa mga lider at miyembro ng Kamara na makakuha ng sagot mula sa dating pangulo para maging malinaw ang mga isyu kaugnay ng Duterte drug war.

Naniniwala si Adiong na ang pagdalo ni Duterte sa pagdinig ay mahalaga rin para sa kaniyang mga tagasuporta.

“It would demonstrate that he’s not afraid of accountability, just as he showed in the Senate probe, where he took responsibility and advocated for the victims of extrajudicial killings during his administration, shielding his police officers from potential criminal or administrative charges,” paliwanag ni Adiong.

Sa isang sulat, sinabi ng abogado ni Duterte na si Martin Delgra na dadalo ang dating pangulo sa pagdinig ng komite.

Kinumpirma ni Delgra, na nagsilbing chairman ng Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) sa ilalim ng administrasyong Duterte, sa sulat nito kay Rep. Robert Ace Barbers ng Surigao del Norte, ang overall chairman ng quad comm, na dadalo ang kanyang kliyente sa pagdinig matapos ang paggunita ng Undas.

“Rest assured of my client’s willingness to appear before the House on some other available date, preferably after Nov. 1,” ayon pa sa liham ng dating opisyal, makaraan ring hindi dumalo si Duterte sa pagdinig noong Oktubre 22 dahil sa hindi mabuting pakiramdam at biglaang imbitasyon.

“Considering his advanced age and the several engagements he had to attend, he is currently not feeling well and is in need of much rest. Hence, my client respectfully request to defer his appearance before the honorable committee,” ayon pa sa dalawang pahinang liham ni Delgra kay Barbers.