THE leaders of the House Quad Comm affirmed on Wednesday that retired Police Col. Edilberto Leonardo’s corroboration of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Royina Garma’s twin affidavits has solidified the fact that extrajudicial killings (EJKs) through a rewards system occurred during the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs.
In a press conference, lead chairman, Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, along with co-chairmen Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. and Santa Rosa City Lone District Rep. Dan Fernandez, expressed that Leonardo’s statements during Tuesday’s marathon hearing marked significant progress in their investigation.
“It has been established that actually there’s a reward system [during the Duterte drug war]. ‘Di na pwedeng itanggi pa ng previous administration,” Abante, who was the one who got the key responses from Leonardo, the resigned National Police Commission (Napolcom) commissioner during the hearing, said.
“Na-establish ang point namin diyan. Whether it be his claim or not, it will be a burden of proof sa mga ayaw tumanggap. Di na sa kanila,” noted Abante.
Barbers emphasized the importance of Leonardo’s statements during the hearing.
“Ang kanyang ginawa lang naman ay kinoroborrate niya ay sinang-ayunan niya ‘yung testimonya na binigay ni Col. Garma sa kanyang sinumpaang salaysay. Meaning, he is in agreement, he is in approval of the affidavit that Col. Garma executed,” he said.
“So wala pa namin nakikita pang dapat i-dagdag because na-establish na nga ng quad-comm ‘yung existence ng sinasabing reward system doon sa mga nangyayaring extrajudicial killings,” Barbers said.
“Meaning in the implementation of the war on drugs, may nangyayaring extrajudicial killings at ito nabibigyan ng reward. So ‘yan ang pinaka-importante na punto kung saan sinang-ayunan at confirmed na may klaseng sistema, reward system, itong si Col. Leonardo,” he pointed out.
Barbers further noted the importance of officially recording this corroboration in the committee’s findings.
“Ang kanyang pag-amin sa Quad Comm will be placed on the records and this record that we will use as basis in writing our committee report, isasama namin,” Barbers said.
“Once pumasok ito sa concerned agencies like DOJ (Department of Justice), DOJ should do a more comprehensive, maybe preliminary investigation sa kanya. Maybe interview siya at maring i-compel siya to issue or to execute an affidavit,” said the overall chairman.
For his part, Fernandez added that there is no longer any doubt that the cash-reward-driven drug war has been firmly established.
“Talagang na-establish na eh, kung matatandaan niyo, nagsimula tayo doon sa Davao Colony kung saan may dalawang PDL (persons deprived of liberty) yung sina Tata na nagsabi na binayaran sila ng tig-iisang milyon. Actually nagoyo pa sila doon,” he said.
“So basically doon, naka-affidavit ‘yung mga ‘yan. Pati na si Warden Padilla, kino-confirm din niya may nag-utos para patayin at sinabi nila tata may nag-deliver ng pera at binigay doon sa asawa niya,” Fernandez said.
“So ngayon ‘yung mga kila Garma, kila Leonardo, mga confirmatory at mga corroborating na ‘yung mga yan…. So basically kung titignan natin, talagang mayroon talaga. Wala naman makakapag-deny,” he further said.
“Ang sinasabi natin, officially binanggit on record doon sa atin sa Quad Comm at ‘yan ang hinahabol natin na maging part of our hearing, or records,” Fernandez said.
