President Rodrigo Duterte is again a no-show at the November 7 hearing of the Quad Committee involving extrajudicial killings and the rise of death and victims during his presidency. Duterte’s absence of shadows raises questions about his willingness to confront the issues head-on.

The Quad Committee expressed their disappointment in Duterte’s unwillingness to attend the hearing. Some members of the committee called out the blatant lie of Duterte when he said that he would attend the Quad Comm hearings after November 1. Days before the hearing, Duterte through his legal counsel sent a letter to the committee stating that the inquiry is a mere political ploy aimed to indict him for crimes he did not commit. This couldn’t be any farther from the truth when you compare it to the clown show which was the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation on the same issue.

In true Duterte fashion, he also attacked the Quad Comm’s genuine efforts to unravel the truth. “Galit sila? Sipain ko sila. Tangina. Pera nila? Wala na akong pera eh. Mamasahe ako doon. I am living on my retirement pay. Wala akong extra money sa bangko, lahat sweldo ko yan.” Duterte said. He also added that “You don’t scare me a bit. Galing na ako pagka-presidente, wag nila akong ganunin. Galing na ako sa Congress. Nag-mayor ako, nag-congressman ako, nag-presidente na ako. Do not give me that shit.”

He also denied receiving an invitation from the committee, despite his legal counsel sending a letter to the congressmen days before the scheduled hearing: “In fairness to the idiots, wala akong na-notice na pupunta ako ngayon. Sabihin mo nga sa mga hindot na yan. What is there to say or more to what I have said. Sinabi ko naman lahat. Ano pa ang gusto ng mga gago?”
Duterte’s actions are a clear strategy to undermine the integrity of the Quad Committee, which no fool should believe. It is all talk and full of excuses from the former president, and he only shows up when he has allies who will come to his rescue. When Duterte chose to attend the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, a panel organized and composed of his allies, and the accused in issue who are to be accountable for the killings, you knew he ran the show. Senators were afraid to ask him questions regarding the issues. They allowed him to speak out of turn and to conduct his monologue with no particular conclusion or thought. The senators allowed him to talk out of turn and even discounted the testimonies of other resource persons and witnesses against Duterte.
What Duterte is afraid of is accountability and the truth, which the Quad Committee can give to the Filipino people. The Quad Committee, which is being lauded for its balanced and fair approach, has gained respect across the public for its dedication to transparency and meticulous attention to due process.
To provide the public and the people a full picture of the truth, the Quad Committee congressmen released a statement stating that they were willing to shoulder Duterte’s travel expenses, including his airfare and accommodations, to attend the committee’s hearings. Chairman Barbers, the lead chair of the Quad Comm said “If finances are truly an issue, we’re ready to cover his travel and accommodations ourselves. This is about the people’s right to know the truth about alleged abuses in his administration’s anti-drug operations.”
As the hearings continue, the Quad Committee has vowed to press forward, standing as a testament to the House’s renewed commitment to transparency and justice—a commitment that will surely endure, with or without Duterte’s cooperation. Whether the former president will face the music or continue to taunt from the sidelines remains to be seen. But as it stands, the Quad Committee appears poised to make history, showing that even the most powerful cannot remain unaccountable forever.

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