The four committees of the House of Representatives conducted investigations on Monday into deaths related to the war on drugs and crimes associated with illegal drugs and Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), denying that the investigations were political harassment against the Duterte family.
"We are committed to seeking the truth based on evidence, not politics," stated Joseph Stephen "Caraps" Paduano, representative of the Abang Lingkod party.
Paduano, who serves as the chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, one of the four committees involved in the investigation, made this statement in response to Vice President Sara Duterte, who claimed the investigations were political attacks against her family.
"If the Duterte family has nothing to hide, they need not worry about our investigations. Our investigations are thorough and fair. We follow the facts wherever they may lead, and we will not allow any interference to disrupt our efforts," Paduano said.
In last week's hearing, former customs intelligence officer Jimmy Guban linked Vice President Sara Duterte's husband, her brother and Davao City councilor Paolo Duterte, and businessman Michael Yang to a 2018 shipment of illegal drugs worth 11 billion pesos that entered the country.
The camps of Capio, Duterte, and Yang all denied Guban's allegations, with Capio stating that these accusations were part of a political attack against them.
However, Paduano stated that the Duterte family should address these allegations instead of resorting to "tactics that distract attention."
Dan Fernandez, chairman of the House Committee on Public Order and Safety, mentioned that the House committees were merely following the evidence.
"If there is nothing to hide, there is no need to worry. Our mission is clear: to uphold the law and ensure that justice is served. We will not be swayed by accusations of harassment; the focus should be on the facts," he said.
Robert Ace Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs and representative of North Surigao, stated that political harassment "has no place here; we are just performing our duties. Truth is paramount."
On the other hand, Benny Abante, chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights, stated that the Vice President's remarks would not hinder the investigation.
"We will not be intimidated by accusations of harassment. We have a responsibility to the Filipino people," he said.
