Context Dispatch

Senate President Francis Escudero announced that outgoing Senator and Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III has been appointed to lead the Senate investigation into the previous administration’s anti-drug campaign. The Senate’s Blue Ribbon Committee will conduct the inquiry into the “War on Drugs,” which has implicated Senators Bato Dela Rosa and Bong Go in alleged state-sanctioned extra-judicial killings. Testimonies from the House’s QuadCom hearings have linked these senators to the controversial operations. While Senator Pia Cayetano heads the Blue Ribbon panel, she will be preoccupied with her reelection campaign; thus, co-chair Senator Pimentel will oversee the hearings, as explained by SP Escudero.

On Sunday, Indonesia officially swore in a new president, former general Prabowo Subianto, a 73-year-old nationalist. He took the oath in Parliament, replacing outgoing leader Joko Widodo at a pivotal moment when Indonesia seeks to enhance its standing on the global stage as the world’s fourth most populous nation. Subianto, who has faced allegations of human rights abuses during his military career, pledged to combat corruption.

Secretary Crispin Remulla has cautioned Vice President Sara Duterte, a trained lawyer, that she could face criminal charges if she proceeds with her threat to exhume the body of former President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and subsequently dispose of it in the West Philippine Sea. As the government’s chief legal officer responsible for administering the criminal justice system, Remulla stated that the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines prohibits the “desecration of the dead.”

The House Quad Committee, investigating the previous administration’s “War on Drugs,” has officially invited former President Rodrigo Duterte to provide invaluable insights and clarify details surrounding the controversial anti-drug campaign that resulted in thousands of deaths. In the invitation letter, QuadCom Chairman and Surigao del Norte Representative Ace Barbers expressed the committee's keen interest in issues related to the anti-drug initiative, particularly concerning extra-judicial killings. Former police colonel and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office General Manager Royina Garma, a close confidante of Duterte, previously testified that police officers were rewarded for killing drug suspects while replicating the Davao City anti-drug campaign model on a larger scale.

Senator Risa Hontiveros is optimistic that Lin Xunhan, the alleged kingpin of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs), will testify at the Senate hearings. Hontiveros believes Lin, also known as Lyu Dong, may connect to dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo. Captured by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission last week, Lin's testimony could be pivotal in shedding light on the illegal activities associated with POGOs, which have been implicated in various scams and criminal acts, including torture.