Even before the bell could ring for the first round, former President Rodrigo Duterte had inflicted the House of Representatives’ Joint Committee on Public Accounts, Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Security and Human Rights (QuadCom) a beating they will never forget.

Quadcomm had earlier invited the former President to attend its hearing on Nov. 13. This was a follow-up to a previous invitation set on Nov. 7, which FPRRD, through his counsel, Martin Delgra, had declined.

Contrary to the government’s recent claim that the Philippines is safer and people are more secure, a recent Social Weather Stations survey indicated a concerning increase in traditional crimes and cybercrime victimization rates compared to previous polls.

The Legal Cooperation Cluster (LCC) of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) strongly asserted that the recent arrests and detention of Porferio Tuna, Simeon Naogsan, and Wigberto Villarico were fully justified, legal, and moral.

A lawyer of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte said the latter’s no-show in today’s public hearing of the Joint Committee on Public Accounts, Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Security and Human Rights (Quadcomm) is pointless, thus his unnecessary presence.

Lawyer Martin Delgra III, in a Nov. 5 letter addressed to Rep. Robert Ace S. Barbers,  Quadcomm chairperson, said the former president harbors some concerns regarding the integrity, independence, and propriety of the Quadcomm.