MANILA sixth district Congressman Benny Abante denied ever forcing anyone to sign anything in the course of the QuadComm hearings on the drug war during the Duterte administration.
“There is no truth to the accusations that I forced anyone to sign any affidavit in exchange for favors or the possibility of promotions,” he said.
His pronouncement came after a police officer told a Senate hearing that the solon forced him to confirm the rewards system of the war on drugs during the time of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“At the outset, I was hopeful that the Senate hearing on the previous administration’s war on drugs would contribute to efforts to obtain justice for the innocent men, women, and children’s slain in the conduct of this anti-drug campaign,” said Abante.
However, he said, “it is clear from the conduct of the Senate hearing that a conflict of interest exists and compromises the Senate’s ability to hold fair and impartial proceedings.”
The Congressman stressed that “Senators can either be subjects of the hearing or can be involved in conducting it—they cannot be both.”
“In the end, we believe the truth will come out, and those responsible will ultimately be held accountable for these heinous crimes against our people, Abante added.
