Palace: No need to summon Duterte's son, son-in-law

MANILA - The Senate panel investigating the alleged P6.4-billion worth of smuggled shabu from China may no longer need to summon Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and his brotherin-law, lawyer Manases Carpio, Malacañang said Saturday.

In a statement read over state-run dzRB, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Palace sees no significance to invite Duterte and Carpio at the ongoing Senate blue ribbon committee probe since their names have already been cleared by self-confessed broker Mark Taguba II.

"With Mark Ruben Taguba II's statement clearing Davao City Mayor Paolo Duterte and Atty. Manases Carpio in the government's smuggling case, there may be no reason for the Senate investigative panel to call the two individuals to attend any hearing in Metro Manila, although they have indicated willlingness to testify," Abella said.

On Thursday, Senators Richard Gordon and Antonio Trillanes IV locked horns at the resumption of Senate committee's probe into the 600 kilos of shabu that slipped past the Bureau of Customs (BOC) after the latter moved to invite the presidential son and sonin-law in the next hearing.

Trillanes branded the Senate panel as "komite de abswelto" or committee that absolves after Gordon, the panel's chair, refused to acknowledge his proposal.

Trillanes earlier linked the younger Duterte and Carpio to the so-called "Davao Group" that is purportedly behind the smuggling activities at BOC.

His statement was backed by Taguba, who claimed during the hearing that Duterte and Carpio were part of the Davao Group.

A day after the clash between the two senators, Taguba backtracked his earlier pronouncement against the two.

In a statement on Friday, Taguba reiterated that his claim about the alleged involvement of Duterte and Carpio was mere "hearsay."

"I am making this statement to clear Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and Atty. Mans Carpio of any involvement in the shipment of illegal drugs into the country and any anomalies in the Bureau of Customs," Taguba said.

"I also hereby apologize to Vice Mayor Duterte, Atty. Carpio and to the first family for the proliferation of fake news arising out of my testimony at the Senate yesterday (August 31)," he added. SunStar Philippines