The House Quad Committee has ramped up its investigation into the origins of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on drugs, focusing on a critical June 28, 2016, meeting in Davao City—days before he assumed the presidency.
The meeting, held on the second floor of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) building, gathered members of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Classes of 1996 and 1997, many of whom played significant roles in Duterte’s anti-drug operations during his tenure as mayor of Davao City.
Lawmakers have questioned whether this gathering played a pivotal role in shaping the Duterte administration’s brutal war on drugs, particularly through discussions of the so-called “Davao Template,” a strategy widely regarded as the blueprint for Duterte’s aggressive crackdown on illegal drugs first implemented in Davao City.
A resource person confirmed that then-incoming Special Assistant to the President, now Senator Christopher Go, was at the venue but did not participate in the meeting. While there were reports that incoming Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa was also present, none of the resource persons have confirmed this.
Dela Rosa, now a senator, also issued a statement denying his attendance at the meeting.
During last Friday’s hearing of the committee, retired Police Colonels Royina Garma and Edilberto Leonardo confirmed the meeting, which they called a “courtesy call” on Duterte, but gave conflicting accounts.
While Garma, a member of PNPA Class 1997, admitted that the “Davao Template” was mentioned, Leonardo of PNPA Class 1996 denied recalling any discussion on the controversial strategy.
Garma and Leonardo are among the Davao police officers believed to be close to Duterte, aside from then-Davao City Police Chief Dela Rosa.
Duterte later appointed Garma as general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), while Leonardo was appointed undersecretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) before assuming his current post as commissioner of the National Police Commission (Napolcom).
During the hearing, Abang Lingkod Partlist Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano directly questioned Garma and Leonardo about the meeting and whether the “Davao Template” was discussed. Garma confirmed, “Napag-usapan din po (It was discussed).”
However, when Paduano directed the same question to Leonardo, asking, “Napag-usapan niyo ba don sa ‘96 yung Davao Template (Did you talk about…Davao Template)?” Leonardo answered, “Mr. Chair, di ko po ma-recall ‘yung (i could hardly) Davao Template.”
The committee also questioned Col. Hector Grijaldo Jr., a member of PNPA Class 1997, who was present at the meeting but denied discussing the “Davao Template.”
Paduano put this on record, stating, “So you contradict the statement of Ms. Garma?” Grijaldo replied, “Yes, Mr. Chair.” Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop joined the questioning, focusing on the purpose of the gathering and whether it was merely a courtesy call or a more strategic meeting.
The mega-panel is investigating the interconnections between illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO), the proliferation of the illicit drug trade, land grabbing by some Chinese nationals, and the alleged extrajudicial killings linked to Duterte’s war on drugs.
The panel meanwhile cited Police Sergeant Enecito Ubales Jr. in contempt and ordered his detention for consistently lying about the alleged more than P50 million in suspicious financial transactions linked to Garma, his first cousin.
Ubales will be detained at the Quezon City Jail until the mega-panel concludes its probe.
The decision to detain Ubales was made after the committee determined that Ubales had been “consistently lying” during the proceedings.
During Friday’s hearing, Police Captain Delfinito Anuba testified that Ubales had been involved in suspicious financial transactions linked to Garma.
Anuba claimed that Ubales gave him P30 million to convert into US dollars, allegedly on Garma’s instructions. He added that this was not the first time, as he had previously converted P20 million and other smaller amounts while Garma was still serving as PCSO GM from 2019 to 2022.
