The former Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) warden who earlier denied involvement in the killings of three suspected Chinese drug lords has executed an affidavit saying that former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Royina Garma was allegedly involved in the murders that implicated former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Supt. Gerardo Padilla, ordered detained for 30 days by the House of Representatives Quad Committee for contempt, has now recanted his earlier statement denying involvement in the 2016 murders of Chu Kin Tung, alias Tony Lim; Li Lan Yan, alias Jackson Li; and Wong Meng Pin, alias Wang Ming Ping.
“I denied it because I was under threat and I am concerned with my safety and that of my family who lives in Davao City,” Padilla said in his signed two-page affidavit that he submitted to the House megapanel.
“In fact and in truth, I had a conversation of…Garma as mentioned above, but I did not divulge at the time for security reasons,” he added.
Two persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) involved in the killings, Leopoldo Tan Jr. and Fernando “Andy” Magdadaro, earlier told the Quad Committee they killed the three Chinese nationals allegedly upon Duterte’s instruction.
Padilla said sometime between 2015 and 2016 when he was acting superintendent of the DPPF, Garma called him through the cellphone of an inmate, Jimmy Fortaleza, and told him not to interfere in a job that was going to happen in DPPF.
Garma is also a former official of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Davao.
“To my mind, the call from then-CIDG Officer Garma was intense pressure and threat to me because I knew for a fact of the operation made against a certain drug lord in Leyte days before she called me,” Padilla said.
“Because of the call of CIDG Garma, I became wary of my safety and I began to observe the personnel of DPPF who among them were the people referred to by CIDG Garma,” he added.
Padilla also tagged another prison official in the murders: “Among the personnel I have strong inkling to consider as people referred to by Ms. Garma was then Deputy Superintendent for Security Operation Robert Quinto and inmate Jimmy Fortaleza.”
