House panel okays invite for ex-President Duterte over 2016 drug lord killings

The House Committee on Public Order and Safety, along with other committees, has approved a motion to invite former President Rodrigo Duterte to provide his side concerning the alleged involvement in the killing of three Chinese drug lords in a Davao prison in 2016.

Inmates Fernando Magdadaro and Leopoldo Tan Jr. testified that they were promised P3 million for the job, but only received P1 million each, and were told they would get a presidential pardon, which was not fulfilled.

One inmate, Tan, recounted that a certain SPO4 Arthur Narsolis told him about a task with "blessings from above" and that the president might help them gain liberty.

Narsolis allegedly mentioned that the Chinese individuals were drug lords and that the president was angry with them, with a supposed payment of "one million" per individual.

Tan also testified that he was informed that the planned killings might be difficult due to the targets being held in the "foreign ward," separate from the maximum security compound.

He was instructed to find an accomplice, and both the perpetrators and targets would be moved to solitary confinement.

Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez suggested that this is the right moment for Duterte to reiterate that his threats to kill drug lords were just "jokes" or "strong words but are not real."