Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (L) asks Lt. Col. Leonell Garcia, of the Philippine National Police General Hospital, for an update on Police Col. Hector Grijaldo (not in photo), who previously cited health reasons for not attending the November 27 hearing of the House quad committee, on Thursday, December 12, 2024. Screengrab from the House of Representatives Facebook livestream

MANILA, Philippines — Police Col. Hector Grijaldo was a no-show again in the House quad committee probe into the Duterte administration’s drug war on Thursday – so he was cited for contempt.

Grijaldo, who earlier claimed that two House quad panel co-chairs coerced him into confirming the existence of a reward system for policemen and hitmen during the brutal war on drugs, skipped the hearing for the fourth time.

In the continuation of interpellation for the bill, Sen. Pia Cayetano, chairperson of the Senate energy committee, said enacting the proposed law would be like a giant billboard telling the world that the Philippines is open for investments in natural gas.

As a rollercoaster week drew to a close, debate centred on the Federal Reserve’s plans for interest rates when it meets in less than a fortnight, with most observers expecting a 25-basis-point cut.

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It was Taguig City Rep. Amparo Maria Zamora who motioned to hold Grijaldo in contempt.

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Aside from the drug war, the House quad committee has also been looking into the bloody campaign’s connection to illicit Philippine offshore gambling operators (Pogos) and extrajudicial killings during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s term.

READ: House medical team to check on Grijaldo as he skipped drug war probe

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While discussing administrative matters, Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, who presides the hearing, asked Lt. Col. Leonell Garcia, of the Philippine National Police General Hospital, for an update on Grijaldo, who previously cited health reasons for not attending the November 27 hearing.

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“Upon checking the patient, he underwent shoulder surgery on December 2, and one day post-operatively, he underwent physiotherapy, bedside,” Garcia said.

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But Zamora pointed out that the panel had already given Grijaldo enough leeway and that it is now time cite him for contempt.

READ: Duterte admits to drug war reward system: ‘I sometimes gave extra as a reward’

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In support of Zamora, Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong motioned to place Grijaldo within the premises of the House of Representatives until the end of the quad committee’s probe.

During the hearing of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee last October 28, Grijaldo told senators that Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. and Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez summoned him to check if he could confirm parts of retired police colonel Royina Garma ’s testimony about the alleged reward system during Duterte’s drug war.

Fernandez belied Grijaldo’s accusations and clarified the police colonel was only asked to attend a meeting and was not forced to sign any affidavit that would corroborate Garma’s testimonies.

Fernandez explained that Grijaldo was called to a meeting because Garma said he knew about the drug war reward system.

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Garma’s lawyers also denied Grijaldo’s claims.

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Garma said Duterte called her in May 2016 about creating a national task force that would implement the “Davao template” on a national scale. Under that templatejilibay, police operatives who kill drug suspects would be given rewards from P20,000 to P1 million, according to Garma.

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