Solons: Garma’s exposé just the tip of the iceberg
PNP CHIEF Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil yesterday asked chiefs of the Philippine National Police (PNP) under the Duterte administration to “clarify” their role in the bloody war against illegal drugs.
There were eight PNP chiefs under the previous administration, including now Sen. Ronald dela Rosa. The seven others are Oscar Albayalde, Archie Gamboa, Camilo Cascolan (now deceased), Debold Sinas, Guillermo Eleazar, Dionardo Carlos, and Vicente Danao.
“Former PNP chiefs should clarify (their) role in anti-drugs operations,” Marbil said in a statement.
Marbil made the statement after retired Lt. Col. Royina Garma, reading her affidavit during a House hearing on Friday, alleged that former President Rodrigo Duterte and other officials of his administration sanctioned covert operations on a national scale, replicating the Davao City model of supposed extrajudicial killings, which provided police with financial rewards for killing drug suspects, funding for planned operations, and reimbursement for operational expenses.
Administration lawmakers yesterday said Garma’s statements during the quad committee hearing are just the tip of the iceberg.
The quad comm — composed of the committees on dangerous drugs, public order and safety, human rights, and public accounts — has been investigating links among illegal operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), proliferation of illegal drugs, massive property acquisition of Chinese citizens, and the reward system for the killings of drug suspects, which lawmakers have found to have been funded partly by POGO money.
Garma, who served as general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office during the Duterte administration, said the model involved cash rewards for every person killed in the war against illegal drugs.
She said Duterte asked her in May 2016 (before assuming the presidency) to identify a police officer, who is a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo, who is capable of implementing the war on drugs using the Davao model.
Garma said she ended up giving the name Col. Edilberto Leonardo, her upperclassman at the PNP Academy.
Leonardo has retired from the PNP and was a commissioner at the National Police Commission (Napolcom). A Napolcom official told the hearing he has resigned.
Garma she was later informed by Leonardo that he had been instructed by Duterte to organize a task force against illegal drugs. She said Leonardo invited her to join the task force but she declined. She said Leonardo also informed her that he prepared a proposal, through now Sen. Bong Go, outlining the task force’s operations.
Garma also said “operational expenses and rewards” were processed through the bank accounts of a Peter Parungo, a former PNP detainee who was reportedly among those tasked to collect and verify information about people allegedly involved in the trade of illegal drugs.
She presented a matrix during the House Quad Committee hearing suggesting that former PNP chiefs were aware of the covert operation. She implicated Leonardo as the key figure in the alleged scheme and several other ranking officers who led the drug campaign.
Marbil said the PNP takes Garma’s allegations “very seriously.”
“We will thoroughly investigate Garma’s claims to ensure accountability and transparency within our ranks,” he said in the statement.
TRUST
Marbil underscored the importance of restoring the public’s trust in the PNP, particularly in the recalibrated campaign against illegal drugs under the current administration.
“Our commitment to human rights and accountability is paramount. We must work diligently to regain the trust of the people and ensure that law enforcement operates within the bounds of the law,” said Marbil.
The PNP Public Information Office (PIO) said Marbil announced that measures would be implemented “to strengthen public confidence and prevent similar abuses in future operations.”
“Gen. Marbil reiterated that the PNP remains dedicated to upholding justice and restoring faith in its operations, reinforcing its commitment to protecting human rights in all aspects of our operations,” the PIO said in a statement.
PEEK INTO WAR VS DRUGS
Reps. Jefferson Khonghun of Zambales and Francisco Paolo Ortega V of La Union said Garma’s exposé gave Filipinos a peek into the nitty gritty of the Duterte administration’s drug war, which is being blamed for the thousands of extrajudicial killings in the country.
“Mind you, it’s just the tip of the iceberg — so to speak. It comes from the perspective of an insider who has not just the trust and confidence, or the eyes and ears of the former president, but even beyond that,” Khonghun said.
Konghun said Garma’s account of how the drug war was conceptualized and planned is not something that can be easily ignored.
He said the testimony “definitely carries with it much credibility, most especially if other witnesses, including documentary evidence, will corroborate whatever Garma may have to say as a matter of public record.”
In the affidavit which she read during last Friday’s hearing, Garma disclosed key details about the roles of the former president and former special assistant to the president and now Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go in overseeing the anti-drug operations.
MORE TO UNCOVER
Ortega said the disclosure made by Garma before the quad comm “was only but the beginning of a deeper and more alarming issue regarding how extrajudicial killings were carried out in the previous administration.”
“Please take note that Garma’s explosive testimony before us involves not just hundreds, but thousands of lives lost to drug operations where even innocent children and teenagers were killed — all in the guise of combatting the drug menace in the streets,” he said.
“There is much more to uncover, and we are committed to getting to the bottom of these serious allegations. The Quad Comm will not stop until all the facts are laid bare because this is about accountability,” Ortega added.
Garma has denied she was pressured to implicate Duterte, saying the decision was entirely voluntary because of her commitment to the truth and her desire to help reform the PNP.
TRUTH
Garma shocked lawmakers when she disclosed details of the alleged reward system for EJKs under Duterte.
“I realize the truth will always set us free, Mr. Chair, and at least I will be able to contribute if we really want to make this country a better place to live … for our children,” Garma told Sta. Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez, one of the joint panel’s chairmen. “I think we have to do something para maibalik ‘yung trust sa PNP, magkaroon ng reform sa PNP (to restore public trust in the PNP, to reform the PNP).”
Garma has said she still fears for her safety after making the revelations but did not directly say if she is afraid that the former president might retaliate against her.
“Of course, it’s normal, Mr. Chair, when you speak the truth, you cannot please everyone. But still, it took me one week to make reflections, and I realized I need to do my part,” she said. “Normal lang naman bilang tao, (It’s normal for a human being), Mr. Chair, pero what prevailed after a week of reflection is I always say, the truth will always set me free. I want a better place. A better PNP, Mr. Chair.”
IMPARTIAL PROBE
Senator Go called for an impartial probe on Garma’s revelations and denied there was a reward system.
He said the campaign against illegal drugs was a key point in every State of the Nation Address of Duterte delivered from 2016 to 2021, which, he added, received widespread support, even earning a standing ovation from those in attendance.
Go said this reflects the strong backing from both the Senate and the House of Representatives at the time for the war against illegal drugs.
“Both houses of Congress agree with this policy, even giving the former President a standing ovation when the war on drugs is mentioned during his SONAs,” Go added.
He defended Duterte’s commitment to the rule of law, emphasizing that the former president, as a lawyer and former prosecutor, never condoned unlawful killings.
“The former President has stated numerous times that his administration never sanctioned nor tolerated any form of senseless killings. Abogado si FPRRD na naging prosecutor pa (He is a lawyer and a prosecutor). He knows and has always respected the rule of law,” Go added.
Earlier, Go denied any involvement in the operations of the police during the previous administration’s brutal anti-drug campaign, adding that as the special assistant to the President (SAP), his duties were limited and did not involve police operations.
He said that as SAP, he had no participation whatsoever, directly or indirectly, in the operational requirements of the war on drugs.
“As stated in the executive order creating my position, my functions are limited to scheduling, appointments, and presidential engagements. My mandate does not include police operations,” he said. — With Ashzel Hachero
‘MALICIOUS STATEMENTS’
He dismissed Garma’s statements linking him to the war on drugs, adding that he had no hand in police operations or the financial management of the Office of the President.
Go said Garma’s unsubstantiated and malicious claims have no place in a legitimate investigation, urging the Senate to ensure fairness and impartiality.
“Malicious and unsubstantiated statements should have no place in any credible investigation. I would strongly encourage the Senate to conduct an impartial investigation on these allegations,” Go added.
Garma has said Leonardo also reported to Go whenever an individual died in police operations so it could be included in his weekly report and requests to refund operational expenses.
