Courtesy: PBS
EDITORIAL
THE investigation into the alleged misuse of funds in the anti-drug war is becoming more complex.
The House quad comm has sought help from the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
Two proposals have been submitted by the quad comm, with two more pending, including a possible amendment to the current espionage law. According to the quad comm, they want to know how the confidential fund was spent from 2016 to 2022. How this fund was used is crucial, especially as the alleged ‘reward’ given by the police for each suspected drug-related killing in the war on drugs came from the confidential fund.
Did the controversial confidential fund provide the prizes distributed by the police who killed individuals involved in drugs during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte?
“We’d like to find out how much confidential fund was obtained in the years the former president was in office. Let’s see if this actually contributed towards the rewards system. That’s what we want to see here,” according to the quad comm.
As the investigation deepens, more connections are being linked between intelligence funds, small-town lottery (STL), Philippine offshore gaming operators, and the reward system that emerged from the investigation.
Previous hearings have proven the existence of a reward system that allegedly came from gambling money, such as from STL and POGO.
Currently, only retired police Col. Royina Garma is the sole witness confirming the use of the confidential fund in ‘tokhang’ operations.
Many believe this investigation will lead nowhere, especially since Senator Bato dela Rosa refuses to cooperate with the investigation, and former president Rodrigo Duterte is unlikely to pay attention to it.
Until someone steps forward to support Garma, this investigation will likely remain suspended, fading into obscurity like so many others before it.
