The eighth hearing of the powerful Quad Committee in the House of Representatives took place today.
According to Manila 6th District Representative Bienvenido Abante Jr., the committee invited the relatives of drug war victims from the previous administration to provide their testimonies.
Some of the victims are from Cebu City, while others are relatives of those killed in Barangay Batasan Hills, Quezon City.
In the committee’s last hearing, evidence emerged pointing to a planned ambush against former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Wesley Barayuga, based on the testimony of Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza.
Mendoza stated that he received a call from Napolcom Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo regarding Barayuga’s alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade and was instructed to conduct an operation against him.
According to Mendoza, Leonardo claimed that former PCSO general manager Royina Garma had given her “blessing” for the operation.
Quad Committee Chair Cong. Ace Barbers said that the hearings would continue to identify all links between funds from Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) and the drug war of the previous administration, which claimed numerous lives.
The first hearing of the Quad Committee took place on August 16, 2024, in Bacolor, Pampanga.