Former President Rodrigo Duterte hopes that his appearance at the House quad-committee hearing on November 13 will be his first and last.
According to the former President, the nearly thirteen hours of sitting and answering questions during the hearing was no easy feat, and his health should also be taken into consideration.
"Maawa naman sila. Ilang oras kaming nag-ano [hearing]? 12 hours kaming nag [hearing]? Biro mo 'yan. Sa edad kong ito, sunod ko niyan, wala na pag-tindig ko deretso na ako - mamatay na talaga sa edad ko," Duterte said in an ambush interview with the media after the hearing.
He further stated that he would also prefer not to attend via Zoom or any online platform if he were to be invited again.
Furthermore, he clarified that his refusal to attend is not because he is avoiding answering questions and allegations, but because his health is his priority.
"Ang savings ko, hanggang kailan ako mamatay. Hindi ko malaman. I am 82 now. Hindi ko malaman kung mag-abot ako ng nobenta (90), na 'yung savings ko, wala akong negosyo kung aabot ba 'yan," said Duterte.
"Eh kung umabot ako ng 91, saan ako maghahanap ng panggastos?" he added.
Around 9 PM yesterday, Duterte was asked by the chairpersons of the quad-committee if he could continue attending the hearing. The former president responded that he could remain "till kingdom come."
Meanwhile, House Committee on Dangerous Drugs Chairperson and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Representative Robert Ace Barbers, said they were successful in strictly enforcing regulations during the hearing, ensuring that no cursing would be allowed while it was ongoing.
He further added that the committee might consider Duterte's appearance at the quad-committee hearing as a final one, since the committee's invitation for him to attend the hearing had already been granted.
