Ex-city police chief claims lawmakers pressured him to confirm drug war reward system

MANILA, Philippines — A former city police chief has accused Rep. Dan Fernandez (Lone District, Sta. Rosa, Laguna) of pressuring him to confirm that the drug war reward system was real.

During the Senate’s probe into the war on drugs, former Mandaluyong City Police chief Police Colonel Hector Grijaldo said that Fernandez and House Committee on Human Rights Chairperson Rep. Bienvenido Abante (Manila, 6th District) spoke to Grijaldo and retired colonel Royina Garma’s lawyers on October 22— the same day that a House Quad Comm panel will take place. 

“Dan Fernandez put the paper he was holding on the table and told me, ‘Ito ang sasabihin mong statement na ito’, while pointing on the paragraph on the paper, ‘Ito ang supplemental affidavit ni Colonel Garma, sabihin mong alam mo ang reward system. I-confirm mo lang’,” Grijaldo said. 

(Dan Fernandez put the paper he was holding on the table and told me, ‘This is the statement you will say, while pointing on the paragraph on the paper, ‘This is the supplemental affidavit of Colonel Garma, tell them that you know that there is a reward system. Just confirm it’.)  

Grijaldo, however, said that he had no personal knowledge of the reward system.

Asked for a response, Fernandez called the accusation a lie. While he acknowledged that he did speak to Grijaldo, it was only because Garma’s lawyers told them that the former police chief had knowledge about the reward system.  

“We never ask him to sign any affidavit, we ask him if have any knowledge about what Col. Garma talked about,” Fernandez said. 

Abante also said the accusation is false, saying he never forced anyone to sign any affidavits. 

The Manila lawmaker said he was initially hopeful that the Senate probe into the drug war would be fair, but today’s hearing made it clear that it would be difficult. 

“It is clear from the conduct of the Senate hearing that a conflict of interest exists and compromises the Senate's ability to hold fair and impartial proceedings. Senators can either be subjects of the hearing or can be involved in conducting it—they cannot be both,” Abante said. 

The House’s probe into the war on drugs has yielded bombshell revelations tagging former president Rodrigo Duterte, Sen. Bato dela Rosa and Sen. Bong Go. 

Garma tagged Duterte in enacting the war on drugs, promising rewards to policemen who would kill suspects. 

Duterte refused to attend the House hearings, opting to go to the Senate, where his allies Go and Dela Rosa were.