FORMER Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma is detained at the United States after she and her daughter were prevented from entering the US by immigration authorities for using a cancelled visa.
Garma, a retired police colonel, is a key witness in the ongoing congressional inquiry on the bloody drug war carried out during the administration of former President Rodriguo Duterte.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Garma is now “in the process of being sent home back here in the Philippines.”
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Garma will not be arrested upon her return to the country since she has no pending criminal cases before the Department of Justice (DOJ) or in courts.
“She can go home, but we will offer her protection and we will make sure that she is in contact with us because we have to avoid incidents like this,” he said.
The DOJ chief said Garma is expected to return to the country in 10 days. He did not elaborate.
DOJ assistant secretary and spokesman Jose Dominic Clavano earlier on Tuesday said Garma and her daughter were arrested and have been detained in San Francisco, California since November 7.
Immigration records showed that Garma left on November 7 via terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). She supposedly boarded the 9:55 a.m. UA 190 flight of the United Airlines bound to Washington DC.
Remulla, in a briefing in Malacañang, clarified Garma was “not arrested but (is) being deported” because her US visa has been cancelled. He said Garma and her daughter were flagged by immigration agents upon their arrival in the US.
He said Garma is free to travel abroad, except the United States, since no charges have been filed against her and that she is not included in the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) hold departure list.
“She has no departure order, and she has a (US) visa. Apparently, in the course of the hearings (of the Senate and the House of Representatives), her visa was canceled,” he said, adding he is not aware of the circumstances related to the cancellation of the visa.
Clavano said Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has ordered Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado to “facilitate her (Garma) return to the Philippines.”
Garma had testified before the House quad committee about the alleged reward systems in the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs. She alleged that cops were rewarded for killing drug suspects.
Garma was previously cited in contempt and detained at the House of Representatives for refusing to cooperate in the inquiry. Her contempt citation has long been lifted and she has likewise been released by the lower chamber.
WITNESS PROTECTION
DOJ chief Remulla said they are eyeing to place Garma under the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP) in line with the request of the quad committee.
“Because the cases against her or involving her have not yet been filed… We’re still conducting case build-up. In any case, she is considered a very important witness by the quad comm that’s why we intend to offer her witness protection for that matter, at least for the matters that quad comm is seeking from her,” Remulla told reporters in a chance interview late Tuesday afternoon.
“She may be part of it in one way or the other, or she may be a suspect in one way or the other, but just the same, we are doing this also… we are respecting the wishes of the quad comm because we know she’s considered as an important witness by the quad comm. We will offer her protection, and we will make sure she is in contact with us,” he also said.
Remulla said some DOJ prosecutors have already interviewed Garma as part of its ongoing case build-up related to the war on drugs.
Clavano expressed hope that Garma will continue to help the government in investigating and prosecuting the drug war extrajudicial killings.
“It is fervently hoped that despite the lifting of her contempt order by Congress, and due to the pending investigations on the matters arising from the congressional hearings, she will still be willing to cooperate and collaborate with the Philippine Government,” Clavano said.
“While we work to ensure the safe return of Ms. Garma, we trust that she will remain cooperative with all ongoing investigations,” he added.
Prior to spilling the beans on the drug war rewards system, Garma was accused by a police officer of allegedly masterminding the assassination of former PCSO board secretary Wesley Barayuga in 2020.
Police Lt. Colonel Santie Mendoza and police informant Nelson Mariano tagged Garma and former National Police Commmission (Napolcom) commissioner Edilberto Leonardo in the killing of Barayuga. – With Osias Osorio