2 lawmakers deny quadcomm demolition job

TWO congressmen had denied Sen. Ronald de la Rosa's claim that former Iloilo mayor Jed Mabilog's testimony before the House of Representatives quad committee was part of a smear campaign against him. "Senator de la Rosa's claims of 'demolition job' and 'fishing expedition' are far from the truth. Our committee is committed to addressing systemic problems, and this investigation is about holding those responsible accountable — not playing politics," Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. said on Sunday. Abante is the chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights, which is part of the quad panel. He challenged de la Rosa, a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, to accept the invitation to speak in the quad committee's hearings to give his side. "Our doors are always open to those who wish to provide the quadcomm with information that will help us accomplish our task," he said. On Thursday, Mabilog told the quadcomm that in 2017, he was forced to link former senator Franklin Drilon and former local government secretary Mar Roxas to illegal drugs. De la Rosa said on Friday there was a campaign "to destroy us and" to weaken Vice President Sara Duterte in 2028. Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop dismissed the senator's claim as "baseless." "There's no demolition job here — only legitimate questions that need clear answers," Acop said. He said the panel's goal was to make laws. "Wala kaming pakialam sa eleksyon ng 2028 (We do not care about the 2028 elections)," he said.