Garma: Duterte wanted Davao model that rewarded kills in war on drugs

Former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Royina Garma on Friday told a House inquiry how Rodrigo Duterte asked her when she was still a police official to look for an officer who would implement the Davao model of the war on drugs on a national scale—one in which rewards are given to the killing of drug suspects.

“During our meeting, he requested that I locate a Philippine National Police (PNP) officer or operative who is a member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, indicating that he needed someone capable of implementing the War on Drugs on a national scale, replicating the Davao model," Garma told the House QuadComm.

"This Davao Model referred to the system involving payments and rewards. The Davao Model involves three levels of payments or rewards. First is the reward if the suspect is killed. Second is the funding of planned operations (or COPLANS). Third is the refund of operational expenses,” she added tearfully.

The cash reward ranged from P20,000 to P1 million, she also said.

Garma said the meeting took place in May 2016, weeks before Duterte was to take his oath as president of the country on June 30.

Money flow during the Duterte war on drugs

Garma also mentioned the names of Senator Christopher "Bong" Go and National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo as among those involved in the implementation of the campaign.

"Rewards were only given for killings, while for arrests, only the funding of the COPLAN and a refund for the expenses was given," Garma said.

Senior Deputy Speaker Dong Gonzales of Pampanga later asked Garma if she was forced to execute such an affidavit since she was in tears the whole time she was reading the four-page affidavit.

Garma said she executed the affidavit willingly, and that she was in tears due to complicated emotions.

“Wala po [pumilit], Mr. Chair. It took me one week to make some reflections. I realized that the truth will always set us free," Garma said.

“It is normal that when you speak the truth, you cannot please everybody. At least, I will be able to contribute to make this country a better place to live for our children,” she added.

Nationwide model

Garma said that in compliance with Duterte’s request, he recommended her upperclassman Edilberto Leonardo, who was handling the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and was also a member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo.

Garma said Leonardo prepared a Davao model nationwide war on drugs proposal “routed through Bong Go.”

Go, now a Senator, served as Special Assistant to the President when Duterte was President.

“Leonardo had the final authority to determine who would be included on the list of drug personalities and to classify their threat levels, as well as the discretion to remove individuals from the list,” Garma said.

Garma said that back in 2016 in a CIDG office, she overheard a discussion of drug activities in the Davao Penal Colony with Leonardo and then Davao Penal Colony chief Gerardo Padilla, which identified certain Bureau of Correction (BuCor) officers involved in the drug trade, including a certain officer named "Guinto".

Guinto, Garma said, was subsequently killed along with other BuCor members.

“These are the critical facts I personally know regarding the drug war of the previous administration. I am prepared to provide additional details and information in a supplemental affidavit during the Executive Session, at the discretion of the Committee,” Garma said.

P1 million per kill

Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel then questioned Garma on the details of how much is monetary reward per drug war kill, and how much is the funding per anti-drug operation under the Davao model.

Garma said she did not know specifics on the price per drug war kill, but spilled that the highest reward was P1 million per kill.

“May amount po [per kill], Mr. Chair. From what I understand, starting from P20,000 to P1 million. But I'm not familiar with the bracketing,” Garma said.

(There's an amount per kill.)

Manuel asked Garma if the reward was set at P50,000 for level 1 or drug pusher, P100,000 for level 2 or big-time drug pusher, P300,000 for narco politicians and protectors, and P1 million for traders, manufacturers, chemists, ninja cops or financiers.

“The case operation plan is submitted to Sir Leonardo. He facilitates the funding. In Davao, once there’s a successful police operation, if you have filed the case, there’s a number, proof that you filed a case, you will be refunded P5,000 for your expenses," Garma said.

These expenses include photocopying, buy-bust money, payment for the agent, food for the suspect if he will be brought to court.

"Those are just enough to refund the expenses of the police operation,” Garma said.

In response, Manuel said it is no surprise that the police under the Duterte administration are trigger-happy when it comes to killing drug suspects.

"I am still trying to absorb everything...from P20,000 to P1 million per head. And from Davao, this happened nationwide," Manuel said.

"Kaya naman pala ganado yung mga sangkot na mga pulis na kapag neutralization talaga, ang layunin ay pumatay, dahil pala ganon kalaki yung reward sa kanila,” he added.

(That is why the police are all so willing to neutralize, kill people, because they are rewarded with so much money for such an act.)

Money flow

A diagram Garma presented during the hearing showed the flow of money in the payment of rewards which involved Go; an alias Muking from the Presidential Management Staff; an alias Pedro who worked at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group; and Leonardo, who reportedly facilitated the payment of rewards.

Garma said Leonardo would brief all incoming PNP chiefs, regional chiefs, regional intelligence chiefs, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the CIDG.

He was allegedly in charge of determining the amount of reward for high-value targets.

'Never sanctioned'

Senator Bong Go on Saturday flat out denied that there was a supposed "reward system" in the previous administration. 

"Nais kong klaruhin na walang reward system na iniimplementa noon kapalit ang buhay ng sinuman," Go said in a statement.

(I want to clarify that no reward system was implemented before in exchange for anyone's life.)

"The former President has stated clearly numerous times that his administration never sanctioned nor tolerated any form of senseless killings," he added.

Meanwhile, former Police chief and now senator Bato dela Rosa said he has 'no idea' about the supposed reward system.

“I have no idea about that reward system,” Dela Rosa said.

“During my time as the chief PNP, I did not engage in a reward system because I had no funds for that. The only reward system in the pop is the DILG-approved list of the most wanted persons," explained Dela Rosa.

"I did not believe in such a system because it is a sworn duty of every policeman to keep his area of responsibility free from drugs,” he added

Leyte mayor killing

Police Colonel Marvin Marcos, who attended the hearing partly in connection with the killing of former Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa said he heard about the reward system.

"Pertaining to the reward system, sir, tama po si Colonel Garma du'n. Nagsi-circulate po 'yan sa buong PNP organization," Marcos said.

"Pero ang makaka-validate lang po niyan is 'yung inner circle katulad ni Colonel Garma," he added.

(Colonel Garma is correct. That has been circulating in the whole PNP organization. But the ones who can validate that are those in the inner circle like Colonel Garma.)

Marcos said he didn't think those who shot and killed Espinosa received a reward.

He said there was no reward system at the start of the war on drugs.

"Napansin siguro na walang masyadong nagpa-participate," Marcos said.

"N'ung nakakulong na po ako, baka-restricted... d'un ko narinig 'yung reward system," he added.

Police Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III said he didn't have personal knowldege of the reward system in the war on drugs.

"Truth to tell, sir, if I may be able to speak candidly, that's not within the law," Torre said.  He also said he didn't hear anything about it.

Duterte and other top officials of his administration are already being investigated by the International Criminal Court in connection with the alleged commission of crimes against humanity for systematic drug war deaths in police operations during his tenure. 

These deaths reached around 6,000 based on police records, but human rights groups contend that the deaths reached as much as 30,000, including vigilante killings, due to Duterte's policy.

The former Chief Executive and the Duterte administration's officials, however, have denied that killing people at whim is a policy, if not insisted that the Philippines is not under ICC jurisdiction due to Manila's unilateral withdrawal from the Rome Statute in March 2019.

GMA Integrated News is still trying to get a comment from Leonardo and will post their sides as soon as they are available.  — NB/VAL, GMA Integrated News