The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has confirmed that Royina Garma, the former general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), traveled to Malaysia late Sunday evening, just a day after her return to Manila.
Garma departed as a tourist for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport – Terminal 3 at 10:43 p.m.
According to the Immigration bureau, “She is the subject of an immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) dated 15 November 2024 for being a person of interest in a case from 2020 and another from 2016.”
The BI adhered to the procedures outlined in the ILBO and informed the Department of Justice about the situation. “Upon verification, there was no hold departure order or warrant of arrest issued against her.”
Garma had returned to the Philippines on Saturday evening. She was arrested and detained in San Francisco, California, on November 7, 2024, due to her canceled US visa.
The retired police colonel had previously left the Philippines late last year after participating in several House Quad Committee hearings regarding the Duterte administration’s drug war, during which she confirmed the execution of the “Davao Model.”
Garma, a retired police colonel, said the “Davao Model” includes three levels of payments or rewards, including a payout for a suspect’s death, funding for planned operations, and reimbursement of operational expenses.
She also mentioned that former President Rodrigo Duterte approached her about applying the “Davao Model” on a national scale during his administration, highlighting their acquaintance from her time as a police station commander in Davao.
