No word on whether Garma seeking US political asylum

MANILA, Philippines — There is no word yet from US authorities if former police colonel Royina Garma is indeed requesting for political asylum, according to Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla also gave no confirmation of Garma’s reported asylum request. “No confirmation now,” Remulla said.

Should Garma’s asylum request proceed, she must establish that her life is in peril due to political persecution.

“Under detention so far. No word on asylum,” Romualdez said in a text message to The STAR. “We are checking the delay in deportation.”

Remulla noted that ongoing investigations on Garma’s alleged crimes will proceed regardless of her location, citing the Philippines’ Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the US. The MLAT ensures both nations cooperate in preventing, investigating, and prosecuting criminal offenses.

Remulla also cited the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act of 2016, which sanctions individuals involved in human rights violations and corruption worldwide, as the reason for the cancellation of her visa.

“They’re actually after her properties which she stored there, her money laundering activities, and of course, the human rights violations that were part of the Magnitsky Act,” Remulla pointed out.

As Philippine authorities chart their next move to have Garma sent back to Manila, the US embassy has made it clear her possible deportation “is a US law enforcement matter.”

Kanishka Gangopadhyay, US embassy spokesman, made the clarification as Romualdez said Manila’s consulate general in San Francisco is doing what it normally can to assist Garma and her daughter.

Garma and her daughter are detained in the US under the Magnitsky Act for possible money laundering and human rights violations.

In the Philippines, she is being investigated for her role in extrajudicial killings and for the murder of retired police general Wesley Barayuga.

Earlier, Garma’s lawyer stated that she had no plans of evading authorities and that she flew to the US  simply to visit her relatives.

At a briefing yesterday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it has not sought assistance from the Interpol or planned to send officers to the US to retrieve Garma.

“She was reportedly detained by US immigration over visa-related issues. We will have to wait for the US authorities’ decision on her case,” PNP public information office chief Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said.

She clarified that no criminal charges have been filed against Garma in the Philippines, nor is she under a hold departure order. “She was able to leave the country legally,” she said.

Garma, former general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, earlier told the quad committee of the House of Representatives of a reward system in the PNP for drug war kills during the Duterte administration. Her possible role in multiple high-profile murders, including that of Barayuga, also emerged during the quad comm hearing.

During her tenure as Cebu City police chief, Garma allegedly perpetrated the killing of 198 individuals linked to the drug war. She also faces accusations of transferring illicit funds to the US, where her former husband, Col. Roland Vilela, served as a PNP diplomat in California.

In an interview, Remulla disclosed that Garma had been offered witness protection for her testimonies before the quad comm and is considered “a very important witness.”

In affidavits submitted to investigators, Garma detailed alleged directives from Duterte, including setting killing quotas and offering monetary rewards for eliminating drug suspects and petty criminals. These affidavits form part of the evidence being compiled against Duterte in cases of alleged crimes against humanity.

However, Garma herself remains a suspect. In addition to murder charges, she is accused of laundering cash through diplomatic channels to the US, a claim supported by testimonies from PNP officials.

Garma’s case bears similarities to other high-profile figures, such as Jocelyn Bolante and former elections chief Andres Bautista, who sought US sanctuary amid allegations of corruption and human rights violations. Both were ultimately sent back to face charges in the Philippines.

In her quad comm testimony, Garma said the existence of the Davao Death Squad and its covert operations were “common knowledge” among police officers in Davao City. Mark Ernest Villeza