Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel, who led the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee hearing on Monday, told NewsWatch Plus in an interview that materials gathered by the Senate would be made available to the public.
“We are offering so far, kung ano man yung hawak namin, so far, one day’s worth, one hearing’s worth of material open to the public, hingiin nila, we will give them the certified true copies, or whatever documents na properly submitted to us including affidavits na binigay sa amin,” Pimentel said.
The senator added that no Senate rule restricts them from granting requests from international bodies.
“Kung humingi, ibibigay po natin unless may objection, i-discuss natin then subject to vote na iyan. Pero pagdating sa mga Pilipino, open ang records ng Senado at ibibigay sa kanila,” he added.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte was forthright and candid in defending his drug war in the Senate amid accusations of abuses and extrajudicial killings.
“Do not question my policies because I offer no apologies, no excuses. I did what I had to do, and whether or not you believe it or not, I did it for my country,” Duterte said in his opening statement at the Blue Ribbon subcommittee hearing.
The 79-year-old ex-president’s attendance was his first appearance at a probe on the drug war, which left thousands dead and is under scrutiny by the International Criminal Court.
“My mandate as president of the republic was to protect the country and the Filipino people,” Duterte said, pointing out his commitment to what he described as a campaign to safeguard the innocent and vulnerable — not of killing.
“The war on drugs is the eradication of illegal substances such as shabu, cocaine, marijuana, party drugs, and the like,” he added.
Duterte said he never authorized police or military abuses, though he admitted instructing law enforcers to defend themselves when threatened by suspects.
“I and I alone take full legal responsibility sa lahat ng nagawa ng mga pulis pursuant to my order. Ako ang managot at ako ang makulong,” he said.
