Former Davao jail warden Gerardo Padilla (left) links former PCSO general manager Royina Garma (right) to killing of Chinese drug lords in 2016. (Photo courtesy of Bilyonaryo News Channel and Metro News Central)
BATASAN HILLS, Quezon City — Former Davao Prison and Penal Farm warden Superintendent Gerardo Padilla testified before the House Quad Committee that then Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Colonel Royina Garma prevented him from interfering in the killing of the three Chinese drug lords detained in the penal farm on alleged orders of the high-ranking officials of the Philippine National Police, including Garma.
Padilla’s revelation was made during the fourth hearing of the Quad Comm last September 4, 2024, where an ongoing investigation on the summary killings of drug-related persons during the Duterte administration is being conducted.
The former prison warden disclosed that he was prompted to cooperate and not to intervene in the killing operation of the Chinese drug personalities under threat from Garma that his disagreement would mean harm falling on himself and his family.
His testimony supports the statements given earlier by Davao Penal Farm inmates Leopoldo Tan Jr. and Fernando Magdadaro, who were reportedly the persons who undertook the operation to kill the Chinese drug lords detained with them on instructions of police ‘higher-ups’.
The previous hearing of the Quad Comm also revealed that there was a reward system for the killings of drug personalities that was financed from government funds as well as revenue from the operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
Garma is a known ally (an in some circles, the secret lover) of PRRD and during PRRD’s term, she was appointed as general manager of PCSO while serving as director of the Cebu City Police Office. With almost 10 years left of service in the police force, Garma opted for early retirement to accept the PCSO position. Prior to being police city director in Cebu, she also previously served as the head of the Sta. Ana Police station in Davao City, where she may have caught the eye of PRRD.
According to some observers, a former police officer has no business in overseeing the operations of the PCSO. However, they rationalized that Garma’s appointment as PCSO head may be part of a grand scheme orchestrated by Duterte—either as a reward for the former police officer for a job well done in being his henchwoman or as a way to use the PCSO’s funds for the former president’s benefit.
The former PCSO general manager was a no show in the latest hearing of the Quad Comm despite numerous invitations from the investigating body. Observers opined that Garma’s non-appearance is an obvious sign of her participation in the reward system and extrajudicial killings (EJKs) on the orders of PRRD.
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