DOJ: US after Garma properties over Magnitsky Act

Retired Police Colonel Royina Garma is being held in the US for alleged money laundering and human rights violations, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has said.

In a chance interview, Remulla referred to the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act passed in 2016 on sanctions imposed on human rights violations and corruption anywhere in the world.

“Magnitsky Act ‘yan eh. They’re actually after her properties which she stored there, her money laundering activities, and of course, the human rights violations that were part of the Magnitsky Act,” Remulla told reporters.

Remulla said the Philippines was looking to use the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (MLAT) between the Philippines and the US to bring home Garma.

GMA News Online is still working on a comment from Garma's camp and will publish it as soon as it becomes available.

US authorities arrested and detained Garma on November 7 due to a canceled visa.

A lawyer for Garma, Atty. Emerito Quilang has said that she had no plan to hide in the US and that her visa had no issues when she left the country.

“I’m asking the Immigration people to do the formal work,” Remulla said.

“But anyway, we have the MLAT, Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, so we will work this out,” he added.

The PH-US MLAT requires the parties to provide mutual assistance in connection with the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of criminal offenses, and proceedings related to criminal matters. 

An article under the treaty states that a person in the custody of the Requested State whose presence in the Requesting State is sought for purposes of assistance under this Treaty shall be transferred from the Requested State to the Requesting State for that purpose if both the person and the Central Authority of the Requested State consent to the transfer. 

Remulla that the government will get Garma back to the country “as soon as possible.”

“There’s no crack that we can use to tick off the time. We just have to play it by ear,” Remulla said.

A former police official and general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, Garma told the House QuadComm how Duterte in May 2016.

Garma said Duterte, who had just won the presidential race in Eleksyon 2016,  asked her to find a police officer who is a member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo who could lead the nationwide implementation of the Davao model—a reward system for the killing of drug suspects.

Duterte has denied the allegation.  —NB, GMA Integrated News