Photo credit: PDP Laban

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero isn't having any of the doubts surrounding the upcoming Senate investigation into former President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial drug war. Slated for October 28, the probe is set to dive deep into the campaign that led to thousands of deaths—and Escudero is confident it'll be done right.

Responding to concerns about potential bias, Escudero was quick to assure the public that the investigation will be "the fairest in every way possible." He emphasized that Senator Koko Pimentel, who will chair the inquiry, is more than up to the task. "I've entrusted the matter to Senator Pimentel. I have full confidence in him, not only because he's a seasoned senator but also a top-notch lawyer—a bar topnotcher, in fact," Escudero said in Filipino.

He elaborated on the decision to have Pimentel at the helm, explaining that this ensures a balanced approach to such a sensitive issue. "For me, this is the fairest setup. That’s why Senator Pimentel will chair the committee, and that's why it’s the blue ribbon committee handling it, even though we are currently in recess," he noted.

As for calls for a joint investigation between the Senate and the House of Representatives, Escudero didn’t mince words. He flatly rejected the proposal from House Quad Comm Chair Robert “Ace” Barbers for a combined probe into the drug war and alleged extrajudicial killings. "While it's a tempting idea, our rules simply don’t allow for it at this point in time. And since we are in recess, we’re not in a position to amend our rules to accommodate a joint investigation," Escudero explained.

He further clarified that unlike bicameral meetings that are held to reconcile versions of bills, the situation doesn’t involve any pending legislation that would warrant such a procedure. "There’s no proposed law or reconciliation here, so as of now, we don’t have the rules in place to make that happen," he stated.

With the Senate inquiry just around the corner, Escudero’s reassurances aim to set the stage for a thorough, fair, and transparent investigation. Whether this will be enough to quell concerns remains to be seen, but for now, it seems the Senate is standing firm on its plans.