(Eagle News) — Davao Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and Mans Carpio will be attending the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on Thursday.
The President’s son and son-in-law confirmed their attendance only hours after the Senate blue ribbon committee issued the invitation for them to attend.
“We duly recognize the coercive powers of the Senate of the Philippines as part of the legislative branch of government and their authority to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation. We commit to respect the invitation and attend the hearing,” they said in a brief statement.
Agapito Rene Conchu, service chief of the blue ribbon oversight office management, said the summons were so the President’s relatives could shed light on the “possible malfeasance, misfeasance and nonfeasance” of Bureau of Customs officials and employees.
Fixer Mark Taguba earlier said that Carpio and the younger Duterte were behind the alleged Davao Group that deals with corrupt Customs officials and employees for the immediate release of specific shipment.
Taguba, however, later apologized to the President for implicating his relatives, and eventually cleared them.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV had accused both Senate blue ribbon committee chair Richard Gordon, and Senate majority floor leader Tito Sotto of trying to block any subpoena of the President’s relatives, but both Sotto and Gordon have denied the allegations.
They noted that Taguba’s allegations were mere “hearsay” and that for an invitation to a hearing to be made, there should be “concrete evidence” against an individual.