“I believe that this is a great conspiracy, it’s a grand conspiracy coming from the top to the bottom officials,” Senator Johnny Pimentel said
SURIGAO del Sur 2nd District Rep. Johnny Ty Pimentel has exposed what he called a “grand conspiracy” involving the systematic killing of Chinese nationals detained for drug-related offenses during former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s administration.
Pimentel made the allegations during last Thursday’s hearing of the House quad-committee, pointing to the involvement of government and police officials “from top to bottom” in the extrajudicial killings associated with the previous administration’s brutal war on drugs.
“I believe that this is a great conspiracy, it’s a grand conspiracy coming from the top to the bottom officials,” Pimentel said while propounding questions to Leopoldo “Tata” Tan Jr., one of two self-confessed hitmen who claimed that Duterte allegedly issued kill orders for three convicted Chinese drug lords inside the maximum-security facility of the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) in 2016.
Tan and fellow hitman Fernando “Andy” Magdadaro also implicated several police officials, including SPO4 Arturo “Art” Narsolis, Lt. Col. Royina Garma and Supt. Gerardo Padilla, then warden of DPPF.
On Pimentel’s motion, the committee ordered the invitation of all individuals mentioned in Tan and Magdadaro’s testimonies and sworn affidavits.
Pimentel also cited a disturbing pattern of killings, noting that out of 32 Chinese nationals detained for drug offenses, only three were at DPPF, while the other 29 reportedly died in various detention centers.
“This just shows, Mr. Chair, that there was really a pattern, systematic killing of Chinese drug lords in different detention centers,” Pimentel said as he linked these deaths directly to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.
To substantiate his claims, Pimentel requested a comprehensive list from the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) of Chinese nationals who died while in detention for drug-related charges in 2016 and 2017.
“I therefore move that we request the list from BuCor of those Chinese nationals charged for drug trafficking or whatever charges of drugs na namatay during the time of July 2016 up to the year 2017 para makita po natin ang pattern, ang systematic killings of Chinese drug lords,” he said.
The committee approved the motion.
Pimentel painted a picture of a well-orchestrated plot that extended to multiple detention centers across the country, suggesting that these deaths were sanctioned at the highest levels of government.
“It was all over the country. Mahirap po gawin iyon—patayin mo ‘yung mga Chinese nationals na nakalagay sa iba-ibang bilangguan kung wala pong direct approval from the administration,” he pointed out.
Pimentel concluded his statements by reiterating the seriousness of the allegations and the need for a thorough investigation.
“I believe that there was a great conspiracy emanating from the leader itself all the way down to the small officials,” Pimentel said.
