Pimentel indicated plans to amend Senate rules, which currently do not grant subcommittees the same contempt powers as the main standing committees. “The subcommittee realized after the hearing that under Section 20 of our rules, it lacks the authority to cite a resource person for contempt. Before we convene a second hearing, we need to empower the subcommittee to do so,” he explained in an interview with dwIZ.
Senator Risa Hontiveros has expressed her intention to push for a contempt citation should Duterte repeat his use of foul language at future hearings. “If push comes to shove, that is always within the broad powers of the committee, to cite a resource person for unruly behavior. In our investigation of extrajudicial killings tied to his drug war, no one, former president or otherwise, is above the law,” Hontiveros stated on The Philippine STAR’s online show “Truth on the Line,” launched on Thursday, Oct. 31.
Hontiveros criticized Duterte for his behavior during the hearing, describing him as “very rude” for dominating the proceedings, cursing at suspected criminals, and expressing his disdain for drug users and pushers.
If the rules remain unchanged, Pimentel noted that the subcommittee would have to refer any contempt recommendations to the main Senate Blue Ribbon committee, chaired by Senator Pia Cayetano. “This serves as a lesson for us—that the Blue Ribbon subcommittee should have the power to cite witnesses in contempt,” he added.
When questioned about his handling of Duterte's disruptive behavior during the hearing, Pimentel remarked, “You can’t please everybody, and that is not the mission of the chairman.”
Duterte was given the spotlight during the hearing, partly because major witnesses, including retired police colonel Royina Garma and former National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, were absent. Both had previously testified in the House of Representatives that Duterte incentivized police officers with cash for each drug suspect killed. They are expected to appear at the next Senate hearing, while Duterte has denied the existence of any bounty system in his drug war.
Pimentel acknowledged that allowing Duterte to speak freely under oath led to significant revelations, including his admission of having a death squad comprised of gangsters and wealthy individuals from Davao City, who he claimed were eager to target drug suspects.
Duterte’s allies, however, dismissed his comments as mere “jokes” or metaphors intended to instill fear among criminals, echoing the defense often employed by his administration during his presidency.
Pimentel welcomed all parties to access the findings and transcripts of the hearings. Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has already announced plans to submit the transcript of last Monday's session to the International Criminal Court, where Duterte and his police enforcers face charges for crimes against humanity related to the drug war.
Critics of Duterte have also urged the Department of Justice to investigate him for potential violations of Republic Act 9851, the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity.