PNP to probe reward, quota system in drug war

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police has launched a comprehensive review amid allegations of a reward and quota system in the war on drugs carried out by the PNP during the administration of Rodrigo Duterte.

“We take these allegations with the utmost gravity,” PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said yesterday, referring to claims made by police Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido.

Marbil assured the public that a probe would be conducted as part of an ongoing assessment by the PNP’s oversight bodies.

A review panel has been tasked with evaluating Oplan Double Barrel and Espenido’s disclosures.

The panel will also examine all aspects of the drug war, with particular attention to human rights, operational protocols and accountability mechanisms that were in place during the operations.

“Our objective is to address any concerns, ensuring that the PNP’s anti-drug operations are conducted in a manner that upholds the rule of law and respects human dignity,” Marbil said.

Findings of the panel, he said, are expected to play a crucial role in shaping the PNP’s future strategies in the ongoing fight against illegal drugs, with a renewed focus on transparency, accountability and human rights protection.

“We are committed to a drug-free Philippines, but it must be achieved through methods that are just and humane,” he asserted.

Chinese drug lords

The House of Representatives quad committee yesterday warned a retired police lieutenant colonel linked to the 2016 killing of three Chinese drug lords in the Davao penal colony to attend the next hearing or face arrest.

Lt. Col. Royina Garma has been issued a subpoena to shed light on the cases of extrajudicial killings, illegal drug proliferation and other related crimes being investigated by the panel, according to Rep. Robert Ace Barbers.

There is “significant evidence” that Garma may have played a critical role in orchestrating unlawful operations during her tenure with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Davao, Barbers noted.

At an Aug. 28 hearing, former policeman Jimmy Fortaleza supported the testimonies of Leopoldo Tan Jr. and Fernando Magdadaro regarding the killing of three Chinese drug lords.

Tan and Magdadaro admitted to killing Chu Kin Tung, alias Tony Lim; Li Lan Yan, alias Jackson Li, and Wong Meng Pin, alias Wang Ming Ping — allegedly under then president Duterte’s orders.

Fortaleza recalled that in July 2016, his PNP Academy classmates visited him in jail, including Garma who allegedly asked him where the Chinese drug lords were detained.

In August 2016, the three drug lords were transferred to an isolation cell where they were killed by Tan and Magdadaro.

Barbers said they need Garma’s testimony “to understand fully how these operations were conducted and to hold accountable all those involved.”

“If Lt. Col. Garma refuses to attend, we will have no choice but to issue a warrant for her arrest. This is a matter of national importance and we will not tolerate any obstruction to this investigation,” Barbers said.

Garma opted for early retirement from the PNP in 2019, after then president Rodrigo Duterte named her head of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. — Sheila Crisostomo