The Department of Justice is set to summon individuals who appeared before the Lower House Quad Committee probe into the alleged anti-drug war genocide, saying that state prosecutors will start determining whether they can be given state witness status in order to prosecute former President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies.


The DOJ’s has heeded the QuadCom recommendation to file charges of crimes against humanity against Duterte who had been linked to extra judicial killings (EJK) during the drug war period which the former president launched.

Aside from Duterte, the QuadComm also recommended the prosecution of Senators Christopher “Bong” Go and Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on charges connected to the extra judicial killings of thousands of individuals during the drug war waged by the former president.

DOJ Undersecretary Jesse Andres revealed that as gathered from the House QuadComm hearings there may be two possible cases that have “a trail of possible evidence.”

He was referring to the murder of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board secretary Wesley Barayuga in 2020 and the liquidation of three Chinse drug convicts at the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in 2026.

“We will talk to all the possible resource persons there and if needed, we will grant them the stature of a state witness, if their testimony si very much needed to ensure the conviction of the real perpetrators,” said Andres.

The justice official said the department will build up the case based on the testimonies that vital witnesses gave during the Quad Comm hearings.

Among the possible witnesses is police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza who linked former National Police Commission head Ediberto Leonardo and former PCSO General Manager Royina Garma to the Barayuga killing.

In previous Quad Comm hearings several witnesses also linked Garma in the liquidation of convicted Chinese drug lords, Chu Kin Tung, Li Lan Yan and Wong Meng Pin inside the Davao Prison and Penal Farm.

When summoned by the QuadComm, Garma testified that Duterte and other high ranking officials of the PNP during his term put in operations the so-called “Davao model” to be applied in a nationwide scale.

Under the EJK operations, policemen are to be granted cash incentives for putting to death persons linked to illegal drugs.

“We will ensure that everyone involved here is given the opportunity to present their side - whetehr you are a respondent or a witness, we will condcut a very thorough investigation,” Andres said.

According to Andres the DOJ has also started looking into the possibility of prosecuting former and incumbent officials for violations of international humanitarian law and crimes against humanity.