A FORMER warden of the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) yesterday said former police colonel Royina Garma threatened his family to ensure his cooperation in the 2016 operation to liquidate three Chinese inmates convicted of drug offenses.
Garma was a former official of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Davao. She was appointed by former President Rodrigo Duterte as general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) in 2019.
Testifying at yesterday’s resumption of the hearing of the four House committees on Duterte’s bloody war on drugs, Senior Supt. Gerardo Padilla recanted his August 27 affidavit where he denied the claim of two self-confessed hitmen that he and Garma discussed 2016 extrajudicial killings of three Chinese nationals – Chu Kin Tung, Jackson Li, and Wong – who were serving sentences for drug-related offenses at the DPPF.
Padilla was earlier ordered detained at the House of Representatives after he was cited in contempt by the quad panel.
Self-confessed hitmen Leopoldo Tan Jr. and Fernando Magdadaro earlier claimed that Duterte allegedly issued kill orders for the three convicted Chinese drug lords inside the maximum-security facility of the DPPF.
Tan and Magdadaro told the joint panel that back when they were still detained at the DPPF in 2016, police officials asked them to kill the three Chinese drug convicts who were also detained in the facility in exchange for P1 million and their freedom.
The two inmates implicated several police officials, including Padilla, Garma and SPO4 Arturo Narsolis.
The witnesses alleged that Garma, leveraging her position in the CIDG, was instrumental in planning and overseeing the targeted killings, which were carried out under the pretense of the government’s anti-drug campaign.
Padilla said during the hearing last week that he was unaware of the order to transfer the Chinese nationals to the same solitary confinement cell where Tan and Magdadaro were placed to carry out the prison hit.
“During the public hearing of the House quad comm held on Aug. 28, 2024, when asked if I had the conversation with then CIDG Garma, I denied it because I was under threat and I am concerned with my safety and that of my family who lives in Davao City,” Padilla said.
“(But) In fact and in truth, I had a conversation with CIDG chief Garma… but I did not divulge at the time for security reasons,” he said yesterday.
In his new affidavit, Padilla said: “Prior to such killings, I have been subjected to an intense pressure by then CIDG officer Royina Garma who called me up through the cellphone of another inmate Jimmy Fortaleza.”
“Chief Garma told me, ‘May mga tao kami dyan na gagawa at huwag mo na kwestiyonin (We have people there who will do it, don’t question it) and whether you like it or not, we will operate and do not interfere, baka madamay pa pamilya mo (your family might get involved). She added that, ‘Mag-cooperate ka na lang or mananagot ka sa amin (Just cooperate or you’ll answer to us),” he also said.
Because of Garma’s call, Padilla said he “became wary of my safety and I began to observe the personnel of DPPF who among them were the people referred to by CIDG Garma.”
“Although I have not personally met CIDG Garma, I knew the one I talked with was Garma because inmate Jimmy Fortaleza told me Garma wants to talk to me and thereafter handed over to me his cellular phone,” he added.
The quad comm warned Garman she will be ordered arrested if she continues to snub the panel’s summons.
Padilla also tagged another prison official in the murders, who he said made “his own moves” in DPPF.
“Among the personnel I have strong inkling to consider as people referred to by Ms. Garma was then Deputy Supt. for Security Operation Robert Quinto and inmate Jimmy Fortaleza,” he said.
“Since the time of the call of CIDG chief Garma, I have since desisted from interfering with the security operations of the DPPF and allowed Deputy Quinto to make his own moves,” he said.
On the day of the killings, Padilla said he was already in his quarters and no longer on duty. When he was informed of the incident, he said he immediately went to the crime scene and ordered a medical team to bring the victims to the Davao Medical Center.
DUTERTE’S ORDERS?
Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., one of the joint panel’s co-chairmen, questioned Padilla if Garma was acting on the orders of someone higher, to which Padilla said there was a “bigger person” behind the orders.
“Hindi ko naman ini-implicate (si Duterte) pero hawak po sila ng mas mataas (I’m not implicating the former president but someone powerful was behind them),” Padilla said.
Abante again clarified if Padilla believed Garma was following orders from Duterte.
“Ibig sabihin, hawak po si Chief Garma ng mas mataas. At ang mas mataas diyan ay ang dating Pangulo. Tama ho ba ako? (It means Garma was acting on the orders of someone higher and that’s the President. Am I right)?” Abante asked to which, Padilla replied, “Yes, your honor.”
The quad comm later held an executive session where Padilla discussed more sensitive information about the incident.
In his testimony, Tan claimed that after the killings, he overheard Padilla receiving a congratulatory phone call, allegedly from Duterte, praising him for a job well done.
Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun asked Padilla if Garma’s words meant that the Chinese inmates will be killed, to which he replied: “Mayroon po, Your Honor (Yes there was, your honor.)”
Khonghun then asked Padilla if Duterte was the reason why Garma appeared to be so powerful, to which Padilla said: “Marahil, ganon, your honor, kasi naging mayor si President Duterte. Kahit na during that time na siya ang deputy CIDG and naging station commander pa po ng isang presinto sa Davao City (Maybe, Your Honor, because President Duterte was a former Davao mayor, and during that time, Garma was deputy CIDG and station commander of a Davao city police precinct.)”
Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel has said there is a disturbing pattern in the killings, noting that 32 Chinese nationals detained for drug offenses were killed: three at the DPPF and 29 in various detention centers.
Pimentel has requested a comprehensive list from the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) of Chinese nationals who died while in detention for drug-related charges in 2016 and 2017.
