A task force led by retired Police Col. Edilberto Leonardo, based at the regional office of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Davao City, was at the center of the Duterte administration’s reward-driven war on drugs.
This is according to retired police colonel and former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Royina Garma.
In her sworn affidavit submitted to the House Quad Committee last Friday, Garma detailed how financial rewards incentivized the killings of drug suspects, with a system in place that prioritized extrajudicial killings (EJKs) over arrests.
Garma, a retired police officer with close ties to former President Rodrigo Duterte, revealed that the controversial anti-drug campaign was carried out under the former president’s direct orders, with his trusted aide, Sen. Christopher Go, and Leonardo playing key roles in its implementation.
Leonardo, then CIDG Region 11 chief, assembled a team of trusted operatives to carry out the drug war’s operations, patterned after the infamous “Davao Model” used during Duterte’s time as mayor—a system that rewarded police for killing drug suspects.
The group included Rommel Bactat, Rodel Cerbo, Michael Palma, and Lester Berganio, who were all stationed at CIDG-Davao, according to Garma. She said these operatives were tasked with gathering intelligence on drug suspects and compiling reports on arrests and killings.
“They were discharged from service on or about a year ago due to an operation that led to the killing of one individual,” she added.
These reports were processed by Berganio, who maintained a comprehensive list of drug personalities in the country. The information was then elevated to Leonardo, who would determine the “level” of the operation and assign a corresponding reward.
“Rewards were only given for killings, while for arrests, only the funding of the COPLAN and a refund for the expenses was given,” Garma explained, referring to the case operation plan.
During Friday’s hearing, Garma told the Quad Committee that while she did not know the exact amounts, the cash rewards for drug-related killings ranged from P20,000 to P1 million, depending on the target.
A significant part of Garma’s testimony focused on the financial operations supporting the work of the Leonardo-led task force.
She disclosed that Peter Parungo, a former detainee cleared of a rape charge, managed the financial transactions related to the task force. All funds for COPLAN, reimbursements for operational expenses, and rewards for agents were funneled through his accounts at major Philippine banks.
While Parungo handled the finances, Berganio continued to maintain the list of drug personalities, ensuring that intelligence from police officers was properly compiled and delivered to Leonardo for final decisions.
Garma’s testimony also highlighted the links between the drug war and operations within the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), where some of the country’s most prominent drug lords were incarcerated.
“I was informed that the drug structure originated from BuCor, where numerous drug lords are currently incarcerated, and that it has three branches—Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao—with Peter Lim involved in the Visayas region,” Garma said.
This intelligence guided the task force’s operations, which focused on high-value targets involved in the illicit drug trade. The task force not only conducted operations on the ground, but also maintained a direct line to high-ranking officials.
Garma testified that Leonardo regularly briefed senior law enforcement officers, including those from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
More importantly, any killings that occurred during operations were reported directly to Go, who was then the Special Assistant to the President.
“Additionally, if any individual died during police operations, Leonardo reported the incident to Bong Go for inclusion in his weekly report and requests for refunds of operational expenses,” Garma said.
Garma’s affidavit further revealed that Leonardo had full control over the list of drug personalities targeted by the task force.
According to her, Leonardo had the authority to decide who would be included on the list, classify their threat levels, and remove individuals from the list as needed.
In the initial section of her affidavit, Garma recounted that in May 2016, shortly after Duterte assumed the presidency, he tasked her with finding a PNP officer to spearhead the nationwide implementation of the war on drugs.
She ultimately recommended her upperclassman, Leonardo, who became a central figure in organizing the nationwide anti-drug campaign.
After Leonardo’s retirement from the police force, Duterte appointed him as Undersecretary at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and later as Commissioner of the National Police Commission (Napolcom).
However, Napolcom Vice Chair Alberto Bernardo informed the Quad Committee during Friday’s hearing that Leonardo had recently resigned from his post amid the ongoing EJK probe.
