Duterte on Garma’s allegation: 'Sinungaling ‘yang gaga na yan'

Former president Rodrigo Duterte denied on Monday allegations that he ordered retired police colonel Royina Garma to find police personnel who would implement an anti-narcotics campaign similar to the “Davao model.”

During the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation into the Philippine Drug War, Duterte refuted Garma's claim that he called her in May 2016 to meet him at his residence in Doña Luisa, Davao City.

“I do not remember calling her. And for what? I was already the president at that time; I had everything I needed already,” Duterte told the panel when asked about Garma’s revelation during the House QuadComm investigation.

“I hate to say this, but that woman is lying. Why would I single out Iglesia ni Cristo? I might as well include Aglipayans and Mormons. Why would I focus only on Iglesia ni Cristo?” he added, speaking in a mix of Filipino and English.

Garma, believed to be “close” to Duterte, earlier stated that the former chief executive ordered her to find police officers who would implement an anti-narcotics campaign similar to the “Davao model.”

According to Garma, the so-called "Davao Model" is a reward-for-kill scheme involving three levels of payments or rewards.

“First is the reward if the suspect is killed. Second is the funding of planned operations. Third is the refund of operational expenses,” she said in her affidavit during the House QuadComm hearing.

Garma claimed she recommended then-police colonel Edilberto Leonardo, her upperclassman at the Philippine National Police Academy, to be the implementer of the "Davao model" based on Duterte’s requirements: a policeman who is a member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo.

At the House Quad Comm hearing last week, Leonardo confirmed the existence of the reward scheme for police who killed drug suspects.

Both Garma and Leonardo were absent from the Senate panel’s investigation, prompting Senator Ronald Dela Rosa to make a motion to subpoena them.

“We have to require their presence here. I can only surmise that they don’t want their statement given before the House of Representatives to be debunked before this body,” Dela Rosa said.

“They do not want the truth to come out if they don’t come here,” he added.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, who heads the Senate panel's probe, earlier said that Garma was on medical furlough for scheduled checkups, while Leonardo was reportedly infected with Covid-19.