l0 Agosto 2024, Sabado
Register now and vote in midterm polls
supports Agosto 2024, Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa
Aspirants file your certificate of candidacy on October 1-8,2024
Substitute candidates must be with same surname and political party
Partylist must file Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance
PM for any hospital discharge problem
Cops feelers to testify in EJK probe
By Nidz Godino
“Some of them are also retired…and I believe this will give direction to our committee as to how we’re going to treat testimonies or their evidences,” House committee on dangerous drugs chairman Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said, refusing to identify retired and active police officers have sent “feelers” to become witnesses in Quad Comm inquiry on extrajudicial killings during Duterte administration.
Quad Comm has been formed by House of Representatives to look into possible links between EJKs, illegal drugs, Chinese syndicates and Philippine offshore gaming operators or POGOs.
It is composed of Barbers’ committee, human rights committee headed by Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante; public accounts committee headed by Abang Lingkod Rep. Caraps Paduano and public order and safety committee headed by Sta. Rosa, Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez.
On issue of EJKs, Barbers noted “members of our law enforcement agencies are ones who want to share their information.”
He also did not comment when asked if Philippine National Police (PNP) Northern Luzon Command chief Maj. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. was one of potential police witnesses who came forward.
National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) director general Ricardo de Leon recently revealed that Caramat offered to Speaker Martin Romualdez to disclose everything he knew about EJKs and other irregularities in drug war, including list of names targeted for killing in return for appointment as PNP chief.
Barbers assured Quad Comm “definite study and dig deeper” before they accept any testimony and that they will also be guided by legal experts.
He also called on anyone who has information to come forward and help in the investigation.
“And all those people we invited in the past POGO hearing, likes of the mayor of Porac, mayor of Bamban, acting mayor,CIDG ,Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, PAGCOR, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. officials and some Philippine National Police generals, including General Caramat, and we will also invite maybe General Eleazar Matta of PNP Drug Enforcement Group,” Barbers stressed.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said Department of Information and Communications Technology admitted to have noticed significant reduction in text scams after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.ordered total ban on POGO, indicating that their operations have also targeted Filipinos in their scamming activities.
“With implementation of ban, Filipinos are more likely to have safe and better experience in their online transactions, which could expedite country’s digital transformation,” he said.
FMJ ordered total ban of POGO in the country during his third State of the Nation Address last July following complaints that such activities were linked to scamming and human trafficking.
Gatchalian said cyber safety is important not only for accelerating use of digital technologies in the country but also for attracting investments.
“We hope that our cyberspace will be safer and we will be able to attract more investors to the country, We also hope that the number of text scams and other online scams that prey on our compatriots will further decrease,” Gatchalian added.
ISKUP! 