Panelo: ‘Davao model’ war on drugs is ‘pure imagination’

Retired Police Colonel Royina Garma’s claim of a payment and rewards system for killing drug suspects during the Duterte administration is “pure imagination or fertile speculation,” according to former presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo.

Panelo’s statement came after Garma told the House Quad Committee that former President Rodrigo Duterte asked her to look for an officer who could implement the "Davao model" of the war on drugs on a national scale, a system where one is rewarded up to P1 million for killing drug suspects.

Panelo dismissed Garma's claim, saying that the alleged meeting occurred in May 2016, a month before Duterte assumed office in July 2016.

“What is evident is that Garma may have succumbed to threat or intimidation under pain of incarceration if she did not make the allegations contained in her affidavit,” Panelo said.

“Garma claims she declined being part of the alleged intended replication of the 'Davao model,' if that is so, she could not have any knowledge of the Davao model plan—assuming there was one—if it was pursued or operated,” he added.

With that being the case, Panelo said, Garma’s knowledge of the alleged plan to fight illegal drugs is all “hearsay” and that she has no personal knowledge about it.

“When FPRRD declared war on drugs and made a statement that he would kill those involved in illegal drugs, he was making a commitment that he would pursue them to the ends of the earth to prosecute and put them behind bars, which he did during his incumbency—resulting to its almost total destruction that brought security and peace of mind to the citizenry,” he said.

“The political enemies and detractors of FPRRD will not stop at throwing the kitchen sink at him by using coercion and money to compel persons to testify falsely against him,” he added.

Thousands of Filipinos, mostly from the poor sector, were killed in the past administration's drug war. Official figures put the final tally at around 6,000, but rights groups said the number could be much higher.

In a separate statement, Panelo said Duterte would attend the QuadComm hearing if the members would ask “educated questions.”

“FPRRD hasn’t received any invitation yet,” Panelo said.

“In his press conference in Davao he would attend if invited with one condition: The members of the committee should ask educated questions and not irrelevant, stupid and private invasive queries,” he added.

Duterte has been invited to attend the House drug war probe but repeatedly declined to present himself. — BM, GMA Integrated News