A former warden of a Davao City jail on Wednesday directly implicated former president Rodrigo Duterte as the person behind those of the higher-ups who allegedly ordered the killing of the three suspected Chinese drug lords in 2016. 

Former Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) Supt. Gerardo Padilla, who earlier denied having a hand in the planned operations to kill the Chinese nationals, divulged before the House quad committee that the marching order originated from then-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) deputy chief Royina Garma, who was appointed by Duterte as Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager in June 2019.

Hesitant at first, Padilla later corroborated that the former chief executive was the “bigger person" behind Garma’s directive. 

“Hindi ko naman ini-implicate pero hawak po sila ng mas mataas,” Padilla said in response to the query of Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abate Jr., one of the panel’s chairpersons. 

Abante further clarified if the "higher person" was Duterte, to which Padilla replied, “Yes, your honor.”

Padilla was earlier tagged by three persons deprived of liberty (PDL)—Leopoldo Tan, Fernando "Andy" Magdadaro, and Jimmy Fortaleza—as the high-ranking cop who ordered to permanently silence Chu Kin Tung, Jackson Lee, and Peter Wang, upon the orders of Duterte.

Tan and Magdadaro previously told the panel that they stabbed to death the three Chinese inside the DPPF Disciplinary Dormitory or "bartolina” on the evening of 13 August 2016 in exchange for P1 million each and their liberty as guaranteed by the police. 

Tan claimed that he overheard Padilla talking to someone over the phone, allegedly Duterte, who congratulated him for a “job well done.”

During the previous hearing on 28 August, Padilla vehemently denied the testimony of the said PDLs as well as the allegation that he had a conversation with Garma, which resulted in his contempt.

Padilla, however, recanted his previous statement, on Wednesday’s hearing.

“Prior to such killings, I have been subjected to an intense pressure by then CIDG Officer Royina Garma who called me up through the cellphone of another inmate Jimmy Fortaleza,” Padilla said in his affidavit.

“Chief Garma told me ‘may mga tao kami dyan na gagawa at huwag mo na kwestiyonin, and whether you like it or not we will operate and do not interfere, baka madamay pa pamilya mo… Mag cooperate ka na lang or mananagot ka sa amin,’” he continued.

Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop, quad comm vice chairperson, and Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, however, were convinced that Padilla was heavily involved in the planning of the killing of the three Chinese given that he was overall in charge of the DPPF.

“You knew they were going to kill the three [Chinese] but you did nothing,” Acop lamented. 

“First of all, the transfer of [Tan and Magdadaro] and the three [Chinese to the Disciplinary Dormitory] will not happen without the order from the warden,” Pimentel chimed in. 

But, Padilla contended that he was “blind” to the procedure, saying it was the police who initiated the separate operation, including putting the Chinese in the bartolina “without [his] consent.”