Manila Representative Benny Abante emphasized the need for persistence in the pursuit of justice, as he marked the conclusion of the Quadruple Committee’s hearings with a firm call for sustained efforts against impunity and wrongdoing.
“Justice cannot be claimed in a single hearing or a single bill – it must be pursued relentlessly, especially when the system resists it,” Abante, one of the co-chairs of the Quad Comm, said.
As chair of the House Committee on Human Rights, the veteran legislator praised the 15 hearings conducted by the panel as an expression of principled and courageous public service in the face of threats and falsehoods.
“It is the tenacity of the Quad Comm – our refusal to turn a blind eye to injustice, our steadfast commitment to the truth – that brought us here,” the seasoned lawmaker said.
“We were not deterred by threats. We were not discouraged by lies.”
“We were not deterred by threats. We were not discouraged by lies,” he said.
The House Quad Comm, composed of the Committees on Human Rights, Public Order and Safety, Public Accounts, and Dangerous Drugs, concluded its investigation into the connections between criminal activity and foreign POGO operations, including illegal drugs and extrajudicial killings (EJKs).
“Let the 15 hearings of the Quad Comm remind one and all: in challenging missions such as ours, we need to be tenacious!”
“Let the 15 hearings of the Quad Comm remind one and all: in challenging missions such as ours, we need to be tenacious!” Abante declared.
He warned that those being held to account are neither powerless nor unorganized.
“We are up against syndicates of silence, cabals of corruption, and a culture of compromise that have allowed evil to thrive,” Abante stressed.
“If we are not tenacious, we lose ground. If we stop fighting, impunity wins,” he added.
Abante expressed confidence that the committee’s work had planted the seeds of hope across a weary public.
“Hope that the voiceless will finally be heard. Hope that the guilty will one day answer for their crimes. Hope that justice, though delayed, will not be denied,” he emphasized.
Abante underscored that in a country where impunity has persisted for so long, persistence is no longer optional.
“In a country where impunity has become too familiar, tenacity is not just admirable – it is essential,” he said.
Abante also thanked his fellow lawmakers in the 19th Congress, saying their commitment to truth and accountability had set a high bar for future public servants.
“Your resolve has shown the Filipino people what public service can look like – principled, persistent, and persevering,” he said.
Turning to the 20th Congress, Abante urged incoming lawmakers to pick up where the QuadComm leaves off.
“The torch is now in your hands. May you be as tenacious as those who came before you. May you never tire of seeking truth, serving the people, and fighting for what is right,” he stressed.
“Let us not faint. Let us not falter. Let us always be tenacious. And in God’s time, we shall reap a harvest of justice,” Abante concluded.
