TWO ‘Young Guns’ lawmakers hinted Sunday that retired police colonel Royina Garma’s exposé involving former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and former presidential assistant Christopher “Bong” Go—regarding alleged payments and rewards to police officers during the brutal war on drugs, following the Davao model—is just the tip of the iceberg.
Reps. Jefferson “Jay” Khonghun and Francisco Paolo Ortega V, both leaders of the so-called “Young Guns” bloc in the House of Representatives, said the revelations of the former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager gives Filipinos a peek into the inner workings of the Duterte administration.
“Mind you, it’s just the tip of the iceberg – so to speak. It comes from the perspective of an insider who has not just the trust and confidence, or the eyes and ears of the former president, but even beyond that,” Khonghun, of Zambales’ First District, remarked.
“So, this is not something that cannot be easily ignored. This testimony definitely carries with it much credibility, most especially if other witnesses, including documentary evidence, will corroborate whatever Garma may have to say as a matter of public record,” he added.
Ortega, who represents La Union’s First District, noted the disclosure made by Garma before the Quad Committee last Friday night was only the beginning of a deeper and more alarming issue regarding how extrajudicial killings were carried out in the previous administration.
“Please take note that Garma’s explosive testimony before us involves not just hundreds, but thousands of lives lost to drug operations where even innocent children and teenagers were killed – all in the guise of combatting the drug menace in the streets,” he said.
“There is much more to uncover, and we are committed to getting to the bottom of these serious allegations. The Quad Comm will not stop until all the facts are laid bare because this is about accountability,” Ortega emphasized.
