CITY OF SANFERNANDO -- Pampanga Third District Representative Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. on Monday called for the consolidation of ongoing inquiries on POGO issues by three committees of Congress.
Other issues related to POGO include illegal drugs, human rights violations, and extra-judicial killings (EJKs) that happened in the course of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
Leaders of the House of Representatives are pushing for the formation of a four-committee panel that will look into POGOs and crimes associated with it.
Two other House members, Representatives Joel Chua of Manila and Patrick Michael Vargas of Quezon City, filed on Monday Resolution No. 1843 proposing a fusion of the inquiries by the three committees - dangerous drug, public order and safety, and human rights.
A fourth member, Gerville Luistro of Batangas, suggested during a plenary session on Monday that the committee on public accounts, where she is a member, be included in the proposed multi-committee investigating panel.
Gonzales’ privilege speech, Resolution No. 1843 and Luistro’s suggestion have all been referred to the rules committee chaired by Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe.
Gonzales said the nation “is currently grappling with complex issues involving public order, the proliferation of dangerous drugs, and human rights violations.”
“We must address these issues in a coordinated and timely manner to ensure justice and the rule of law,” he said.
Gonzales noted that the committee on games and amusement, together with the committee on public order and safety, tackle illegal POGOs and criminal activities associated with them.
The committee on dangerous drugs has an ongoing inquiry into the seizure of P3.6-billion worth of illegal drugs in Mexico town in Pampanga in September 2023.
“These individual inquiries by the three committees have been persistent and yet exhaustive. Still, there are issues that are interwoven entailing scrutiny into intricate details,” Gonzales said in his privilege speech.
He added that separate investigations “have shown an overlap or commonalities on individuals or resource persons that may be invited in the hearings.”
He stressed the need for a “unified and collaborative approach” in looking into the “interconnected problems and issues” that surfaced.
“The complex yet interrelated nature of the issues surrounding public order, dangerous drugs, and human rights violations demonstrates the unique benefits of a collaborative approach that only a joint investigation can provide. A joint investigation will enable us to conduct a more inclusive and thorough examination of these interlocking issues,” the Pampanga lawmaker said.
“It will allow us to invite resource persons who can provide valuable insights across multiple areas of concern. This coordinated effort will ensure that our findings are comprehensive and that our legislative recommendations are practical and encompassing,” he added.
Several Chinese nationals are suspected to be behind illegal POGO and the drug shipment seized in Mexico town, where former Duterte adviser Michael Yang has been linked.
None of the Chinese suspects, including Yang, has appeared before the House, which has ordered their arrest.
They are believed to have fled to their homeland.