Key leaders of the House Quad Committee said the denials of Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on their alleged participation in the Duterte administration’s policy encouraging extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and drug war cash reward system do not hold water.
Reps. Dan Fernandez of Sta. Rosa City, Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte, and Bienvenido Abante Jr. of Manila shared this view.
“The evidence so far unearthed in the Quad Comm belies Senators Bato’s and Bong Go’s denials of EJK involvement and existence of the reward system that was public knowledge during the previous administration, particularly in the Philippine National Police (PNP),” Fernandez said.
The chair of the House Committee on Public Order and Safety said at least two witnesses, retired police colonel and former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma and PNP Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido, testified that a scheme of payouts to hitmen neutralizing or killing drug suspects existed.
“Not only did it exist; it was managed by higher-ups, meaning by Malacañang (Duterte administration),” Fernandez said.
Barbers, overall leader of the Quad Comm and chair of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, cited Espenido’s testimony that millions, perhaps billions, in rewards “flowed from the level of Sen. Bong Go, a close aide of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.”
Quoting Espenido, Barbers said the reward system was funded by money from jueteng and other illegal gambling activities, intelligence funds, PCSO’s notorious small-town lottery (STL) operations, and Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).
“Our impression is that the intelligence funds came from the Office of the President and the PNP. When these funds are audited, we will find out who is telling the truth or lying: Sen. Bato and Sen. Bong Go, or Garma and Espenido,” Barbers said.
Meanwhile, Abante pointed out the testimony establishes that in 2016, Dela Rosa and Go were seen in Duterte’s meeting with senior police officers, including Garma and retired police colonel and former Napolcom commissioner Edilberto Leonardo. The meeting was held at the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) regional office in Davao City.
According to Abante, witnesses said that “the Davao City EJK template and reward system was discussed during the meeting. A few weeks later, the assassination of drug suspects in police operations and by riding-in-tandem hired guns started. It is not difficult to connect the dots.”
