Garma urged to spill beans on Barayuga killing
THE House quad committee wants retired police Lt. Col. Royina Garma to reveal if former President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte ordered the July 2020 assassination of retired police Gen. Wesley Barayuga, who was then the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary.
Surigao Del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the overall chair of the four House panels investigating the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) of drug suspects under Duterte’s war on drugs, said he is personally interested to know if the directive to kill Barayuga came from Garma or from Duterte.
Barbers said that as of now, the testimonies received by the joint panel point to Garma, who served as PCSO general manager during the Duterte administration, as the one who ordered the “operation” on Barayuga, using as a smokescreen the latter’s alleged involvement in illegal drugs and his inclusion in the Duterte administration’s drug list.
“Since Garma has denied any hand in Barayuga’s murder, she should reveal who ordered it,” he said in a statement. “We want retired Col. Garma to comment on the detailed testimonies of Lt. Colonel Mendoza and (his drug informant, retired police Cpl. Nelson) Mariano, and of course on other EJK cases.”
Mendoza earlier claimed that Garma ordered Barayuga’s assassination in exchange for P300,000, a claim corroborated by Mariano, who admitted that he recruited the hitman, a certain “Loloy.”
On the day of the assassination, Mariano said he and Loloy received real-time information on Barayuga’s movement, including a photograph of the late PCSO board secretary supposedly taken by Garma attending a PCSO board meeting, as well as the details of the vehicle that he would be using.
The information was sent by a certain “Toks,” supposedly a close aide of Garma. Mariano said it was Toks who also gave him the P300,000 as payment for the task they carried out.
The retired general was shot to death near the PCSO office in Mandaluyong City.
Mendoza has said the plot began in October 2019 when retired police colonel and now resigned Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo of the National Police Commission (Napolcom) approached him with a “special project” to eliminate Barayuga and frame him for alleged involvement in illegal drugs.
Mendoza said he reluctantly complied, saying the order came directly from Garma, who was known for her close ties to the former president and her alleged links to the Davao Death Squad (DDS).
Garma and Leonardo are Mendoza’s seniors or upperclassmen at the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA).
The quad committee hearings have revealed that the motive centered around disagreements between Garma and Barayuga over “Peryahan ng Bayan” franchise allocations and the issuance of board certificates for Small Town Lottery (STL) franchises, which the latter reportedly refused to sign without full board approval.
Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., one of the panel’s chairmen, urged Garma to “reveal all she knows about EJKs and identify those who ordered the killings, who carried out the orders, who are all those involved.
“Retired Colonel Garma’s explosive testimony last Friday linking former President Duterte and his (former) close aide, Sen. Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go, to extrajudicial killings during the previous administration could be just the tip of the iceberg. This is just the beginning of a deeper inquiry into a more alarming issue: the alleged participation of higher officials in EJKs. There is much more to uncover, and we are committed to getting to the bottom of these serious allegations,” Abante said in a separate statement.
Abante vowed the quad committee “will not stop until all the facts are laid bare because this is about accountability, from the lowest office to the highest post.”
“As she has declared, the truth will set her free. We welcome such a declaration, and we hope she will begin to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. She should not cover up the sins of her former superiors, the former president included,” he said.
RESIGNED
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin has informed Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla that President Marcos Jr. has accepted the resignation of Leonardo.
Communications Office acting Secretary Cesar Chavez said the October 8, 2024 letter signed by Bersamin stated that Leonardo’s resignation was “effective immediately.”
A copy of the letter was furnished to Napolcom vice chairperson and executive officer Alberto Bernardo.
Chavez said a replacement for Leonardo is already being considered but “will make the announcement at the proper time.”
Bersamin said “the Palace will support the filing” of any case against Leonardo “but will leave the decision to file entirely to the DOJ (Department of Justice) or (the Office of the) Ombudsman.”
‘NO SACRED COWS’
Remulla yesterday vowed there will be no sacred cows in the ongoing investigation into Garma’s revelations.
“There are no sacred cows in this institution and in this investigation,” Remulla told a press conference after presiding over a command conference at Camp Crame.
The DILG secretary was referring to the probe that the PNP has launched into the revelations of Garma during the hearing of the House quad committee last Friday.
Garma has alleged that the former president and other officials of his administration sanctioned covert operations on a national scale, replicating the Davao City model of supposed EJKs, which provided police with financial rewards for killing drug suspects, funding for planned operations, and reimbursement for operational expenses.
Garma said Duterte supposedly asked her in May 2016 before he assumed the presidency to identify a police officer who is a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo and who will be capable of implementing the war on drugs using the Davao model.
Garma said she ended up giving the name of Leonardo, her upperclassman at the PNP Academy.
She said she was later informed by Leonardo that he had been instructed by Duterte to organize a task force against illegal drugs and invited her to join the task force, which 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 certain 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
Remulla said the personalities mentioned by Garma are “innocent until proven guilty so we must not judge them according to testimony.”
Nevertheless, he stressed that “they will be accorded no special treatment, they will be accorded no special privileges. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty (but) there are no sacred cows in this investigation.”
“Everyone will face the full (force) of the law and the full powers of the PNP and the institutions of the DILG,” Remulla said.
PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said the PNP has already created a committee that will look into the allegations of Garma. Marbil reiterated his call to former PNP chiefs to shed light on the issue “because Col. Garma claimed former PNP chiefs were being informed regarding the war on drugs.”
“So, we have to take their statements and see something about it so we will know where do we start in our investigation,” he said.
Marbil said they are also waiting for the conclusion of the investigation being conducted by the House of Representatives on the matter.
Remulla said the full extent of the law will be applied “to make sure that justice is done.”
“Again, I must caution you, the testimonies are not over yet so as far as I am concerned, we will wait until all the testimonies are in. We will wait until the appropriate actions are done but initial work is already being conducted (by the PNP),” said Remulla.
“I think pretty soon, there will be corroborative testimonies that will abound,” he added, noting that statements given during the House investigation are made under oath.
“So that takes the form already of direct testimony and can be used by the police as an initial point of investigation and to file charges. But we must caution you that we will wait until the final report is over before all actions are done,” he said.
DOJ PROBE
Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said the House quad committee should turn over to the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) the evidence it has gathered during its inquiry, including Garma’s testimonies, for “appropriate investigation and prosecution.”
Barbers vowed to work with the DOJ and the NBI. “Yes, that’s what we will do so that the DOJ can start their preliminary investigation and case build-up,” he said.
The DOJ said it will launch a preliminary investigation on the allegations presented during the House hearing.
Aside from the allegations of Garma linking Duterte to the EJKs, Kerwin Espinosa also alleged that former PNP chief and now Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa supposedly ordered him to implicate former senator Leila de Lima in the narcotics trade.
These revelations, Guevarra, are better investigated by law enforcement agencies.
“It would even be better if all pieces of evidence gathered from the congressional committee hearings are turned over to our executive agencies for appropriate investigation and prosecution,” Guevarra said when asked for comment.
“The quad comm, on its own, may turn it over to the Department of Justice or National Bureau of Investigation or the Office of the Ombudsman for case build-up or further investigation,” he said, adding the Office of the Solicitor General “will come in much later.”
“For now, the quad comm may refer its initial findings to the DOJ/NBI or to the Ombudsman, as these are the agencies that have the mandate to build on the findings of the congressional committees with respect to criminal matters,” Guevarra said.
On Sunday night, DOJ Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said the department will initiate a probe on the revelations made before the House joint panel.
“We will initiate the preliminary investigation and case build-up once Congress refers its committee report together with the affidavits or when somebody files a complaint against those responsible,” Vasquez said.
STATE WITNESS?
Barbers said the DOJ will have to evaluate Garma’s testimonies before the quad committee to determine if she is qualified to be a state witness.
“Siguro titimbangin muna ng DOJ ‘yung kanyang ini-reveal niyang information kung qualified ba siya to be state witness or to be a beneficiary of the witness protection program ng ating gobyerno (Perhaps the DOJ has to first evaluate the information she revealed to find out if she is qualified to be a state witness of a beneficiary of the witness protection of our government),” he told radio dzBB.
“(The DOJ is) doing their own investigation, ‘yung kaniyang interview sa mga witnesses na nagbigay ng testimonya before the quad committee. Ganun din siguro ang mangyayari kay Garma effective siguro by this week. Meron din siyang interview for preliminary investigation siguro (The DOJ is doing their own investigation, its interview with witnesses who gave testimonies before the quad comm. The same thing will probably happen to Garma, effective probably by this week. She’ll also probably have an interview for preliminiary investigation),” Barbers said.
The quad comm – composed of the committees on dangerous drugs, public order and safety, human rights, and public accounts — has been investigating the links between Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), the illegal drugs trade, the massive property acquisition of some Chinese citizens and the reward system for the killings of drug suspects, which lawmakers have found, were partly funded by POGO money.
CENTER OF OPS
In her sworn affidavit submitted to the House joint panel, Garma said a task force led by Leonardo based at the regional office of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Davao City was at the center of the Duterte administration’s reward-driven war on drugs.
The former PCSO general manager also detailed how financial rewards incentivized the killings of drug suspects, with a system in place that prioritized EJKs over arrests.
Garma alleged that the anti-drug campaign was carried out under the former president’s direct orders, with Go, and Leonardo playing key roles in its implementation.
She said Leonardo, then CIDG Region 11 chief, supposedly assembled a team of trusted operatives to carry out the drug war’s operations, patterned after the infamous “Davao Model” used during Duterte’s time as mayor.
The group, she said, included Rommel Bactat, Rodel Cerbo, Michael Palma and Lester Berganio.
“Rommel Bactat, Rodel Cerbo, and Michael Palma were all former police officers stationed at the CIDG 11 Office,” Garma said. “They were discharged from service on or about a year ago due to an operation that led to the killing of one individual.”
Garma alleged the operatives were tasked with gathering intelligence on drug suspects and compiling reports on arrests and killings. The reports were purportedly processed by Berganio, who allegedly maintained a comprehensive list of drug personalities in the country, and Leonardo would then determine the “level” of the operation and assign a corresponding reward.
“Rewards were only given for killings, while for arrests, only the funding of the COPLAN and a refund for the expenses was given,” Garma explained, referring to the case operation plan.
Garma also told the quad committee last Friday that while she did not know the exact amounts, the cash rewards for drug-related killings ranged from P20,000 to P1 million, depending on the target.
A significant part of Garma’s testimony focused on the financial operations supporting the work of the Leonardo-led task force.
She disclosed that Parungo, a former detainee cleared of a rape charge, allegedly managed the financial transactions related to the task force. All funds for COPLAN, reimbursements for operational expenses, and rewards for agents were funneled through Parungo’s accounts at major Philippine banks.
“All COPLAN funds, refunds for operational expenses, and rewards for agents were processed through the bank accounts of Peter Parungo at Metrobank, BDO, and PS Bank,” Garma said.
‘POLITICIZED’
Go said the Duterte administration’s accomplishments in the war on drugs are now being politicized, saying that the efforts once enjoyed widespread public approval since people felt safer in their communities.
“Nakakalungkot na baliktad na ang panahon ngayon. Hinahaluan ng politika ang mga imbestigasyon at binabalewala na ang pinagsikapan ng nakaraang administrasyon na linisin ang bansa laban sa kriminalidad at droga para sa kinabukasan ng ating mga anak (It is disappointing how times have changed. The investigations are politicized, and the past administration’s efforts to rid the streets of criminals and illegal drugs for our children’s future are now disregarded),” Go said.
Go said that there was no “reward system” in Duterte’s bloody war on drugs, denying Garma’s allegations.
He said that as a lawyer and a former prosecutor, Duterte made sure that the rule was respected. “Walang reward system na ini-implementa noon kapalit ang buhay ninuman (There was no reward system implemented in exchange for the life of whoever),” he said in a statement.
Go also denied that he has any participation “directly or indirectly” in the operational requirements of the war on drugs since his job as Special Assistant to the President before he was elected senator in 2019 was “limited to scheduling appointments and presidential engagements.”
“My mandate does not include police operations,” he said, adding, “Let me be very clear. Walang kinalaman ang aking opisina sa operasyon at organisasyon ng kapulisan. Hindi rin ako mismo ang humahawak ng pera ng opisina ng pangulo dahil hindi yan parte ng mga tungkulin ko noon (My former office did not have anything to do with the operations and organization of the police. I do not personally hold the budget of the office of the [former] president because that is not part of my mandate),” he added.
He said Duterte won the 2016 elections due to his strong stance against criminality and illegal drugs, which earned the support of various sectors, with both houses of Congress lauding the campaign during the former president’s State-of-the-Nation Addresses from 2016 to 2021.
He said Garma’s accusations are “diversionary tactics” aimed at muddling the “real issue.” He did not elaborate on what “real issues” he was referring to.
He likewise called Garma’s statements “malicious and unsubstantiated” and urged the Senate to conduct a parallel investigation into the allegations.
Dela Rosa said Marbil’s call for former PNP chiefs to explain their role in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs “is totally fine with me.”
“He is the current PNP chief, he can initiate his own fact-finding effort since the PNP has been at the receiving end in the issue at hand,” Dela Rosa said in a Viber message to the media.
‘A BLESSING’
Former Sen. Leila de Lima yesterday called the split of the UniTeam a “blessing,” noting that witnesses against the alleged abuses of the Duterte administration are now coming out in the open.
“The food for thought is if there was still UniTeam, could there be such proceeding now? I would say it was a blessing that the UniTeam was dismantled because people are now getting emboldened,” De Lima told ANC’s Headstart in an interview.
She said that the statements made now by her former accusers, including Kerwin Espinosa, are no longer a surprise since she knew from the start that he testified against his will.
“I was no longer surprised. But of course, it’s such a great feeling for me because it means that’s another vindication for me, it’s all part of my redemption before the general public… For years they imprisoned me, deprived me of my liberty and they deprived me of my honor,” she said.
She admitted to having felt some hurt feelings against her former colleagues who allowed themselves to be used by the former administration to pin her down.
“Of course, masama ang loob ko diyan na they also allowed themselves to be used during that time. Everybody was just being scared of Mr. Duterte so nagpagamit yung mga institusyon natin, both the Senate and the House of Representatives (Of course, I was hurt because they allowed themselves to be used during that time. Everybody was just being scared of Mr. Duterte, so our institutions, both the Senate and the House of Representatives, allowed themselves to be used),” she added.
“I’m so grateful to the good Lord na lumalabas na lahat ng katotohanan (that the truth is coming out). Let the whole truth come out, the whole thing, the drug war, how terrible it was, we are all seeing that now,” she said.
ICC PROBE
On the heels of Garma’s revelations, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) called on the Marcos administration to give its full cooperation to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its probe of the bloody war on drugs of the Duterte administration.
In a statement, the NCCP said it is now imperative for the Marcos administration to give support to the ICC probe if it is with the victims of the extra-judicial killings and their families in their fight for justice.
“The revelation of Garma corroborates the previous testimonies of witnesses and only confirms the open secret knowledge that the spate of killings that victimized around 30,000 people in the country was state-sponsored, planned, committed, and funded by the state authorities,” said the NCCP.
“The National Council of Churches in the Philippines supports the call to permit the International Criminal Court to undertake its investigation in the Philippines,” it also said.
The religious organization said it is also imperative for the House of Representatives to come out with a solution to remove the loopholes in laws to avoid a repeat of the bloody war on drugs.
It noted how such is the purpose of the ongoing investigation of the House quad committee hearing on the extrajudicial killings.
“We call on the lawmakers to see to it that the loopholes in the law that have been used and are being used to justify the syndicated killings are repealed and shut off,” said the NCCP.
“The current administration should ensure that extrajudicial killings must not continue, and human rights should prevail,” it added.
Bersamin stood by the Marcos administration’s position that it would not rejoin the ICC and cooperate in its probe.
“The Philippines will not return to (the) ICC. Based on this, the President is not expected to change his mind and not refer the quad comm matter to the ICC,” he said in a message sent to the media through Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez.
Bersamin was reacting to the call of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) asking the President to submit the quad committee investigation findings to the ICC “for inclusion in the prosecution’s case build-up on crimes against humanity committed in the Philippines.”
It added that the ICC must take cognizance of any material and relevant information about the war on drugs, including the testimony of Garma.
“Garma’s testimony establishes a pattern in the killings and fingers the ‘most responsible’ behind all the incidents. Her statement ties up why all those senseless killings on the ground happened, and on another hand, why policemen are complicit and willful participants,” a NUPL statement read.
The NUPL also said that Garma’s statement during the quad committee hearing is a “powerful testament to Duterte’s murderous schemes, from Davao to the rest of the country, that confirms other statements made by insiders as well. It is damning evidence, and hopefully, the first of many”.
Reports said there are about 6,200 drug-related deaths recorded during the drug war under the Duterte administration, but human rights groups claim that more individuals died during the bloody campaign. — With Jocelyn Montemayor, Victor Reyes, Ashzel Hachero, Raymond Africa and Gerard Naval
