Go denies ‘kill’ reward system under Duterte

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Monday, 28 October, firmly denied allegations of a “reward system” that allegedly incentivized violence in the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.

Go stressed that no such system existed under former President Rodrigo Duterte, underscoring that the administration’s approach was guided by structured oversight, accountability, and strict adherence to the law.

“What I know is that there was no reward system implemented by former President Duterte against any civilian, whether a drug lord or an ordinary person involved in illegal drugs,” Go, who had served as Special Assistant to the President, said during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee sub-panel’s hearing on the issue.

He explained that Duterte’s warnings to rogue officers, or “ninja cops,” was a means of intimidation to discourage misconduct, not as promises of rewards for aggressive actions toward drug suspects.

Duterte, addressing the controversy over supposed police incentives, had previously said, “Why would I pay them (former PNP chiefs) for doing their job? If I had money, I would just keep it. If there is a fund for that, why would I give it to them? That’s their job!”

Duterte explained that formal rewards were unnecessary, adding, “The best I could do sometimes is to go and invite them to eat. Or if they have personal problems... (for example) if their spouse has cancer, their salary isn’t enough. There’s nowhere else they can turn but to you. If you don’t help the police, they’re dead. Their salary cannot keep up with their demands, with their problems.”

Meanwhile, Go detailed his duties as the Special Assistant to the President from 2016 to 2018 as defined under Executive Order 2016-01.

These included oversight across the Office of the Special Assistant to the President, the Office of the Appointments Secretary, and the Presidential Management Staff, where he handled logistical and administrative duties rather than financial or discretionary authority.

Go clarified, “I never handled financial matters. My responsibilities at the time were solely administrative and logistical.”

In his opening statement, Go outlined his office’s adherence to strict protocols and proper channels, ensuring that sensitive information and complaints were promptly directed to the appropriate agencies like the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the National Bureau of Investigation.

“Of course, I didn’t know all the answers to the complaints. So, if someone wanted to verify information, there were many complaints — scammers, fraudsters, extortionists — we referred them to the CIDG or NBI,” Go explained.