Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre expressed his anticipation for more explosive revelations from former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma, a retired police colonel.
“Her testimonies lay bare what many have feared: that the so-called war on drugs wasn’t just a campaign against crime. It was a state-sanctioned bloodbath,” he stated.
“The details we are hearing are appalling, and it is clear that this wasn’t an anti-drug campaign. It was a systematic execution plan with rewards for killings,” he added.
Garma, a key figure close to former President Rodrigo Duterte, revealed in her affidavit to the House of Representatives’ Quad Committee a picture of how extrajudicial killings were rewarded with money that supposedly came from Duterte himself.
She implicated Senator Christopher “Bong” Go for his alleged involvement in such operations.
She claimed she was instructed by Duterte to help find a police officer who could replicate the deadly Davao Model nationwide—an operation wherein police officers were rewarded for killing suspects.
She recommended Col. Edilberto Leonardo, who later led a task force that operated with impunity under Duterte’s directive.
“These revelations are shocking, but unfortunately, they aren’t surprising. The Duterte administration was known for its violent rhetoric, but we are now seeing how deeply entrenched this violence was in the institutions themselves,” the party-list lawmaker remarked.
“Garma’s testimony doesn’t just implicate rogue officers; it implicates the highest levels of government, including Duterte and Go,” he noted.
Garma stated that Leonardo submitted a proposal for the nationwide operation directly to Duterte through Go, detailing the reward system that incentivized killings.
She mentioned that Leonardo reportedly maintained close communication with Go to ensure that every fatality was reported and all operational costs were reimbursed.
“We are talking about a reward system for murder. This isn’t governance; this is criminal. The existence of such a system, and the fact that it was reported directly to figures like Go, proves that this wasn’t a war on drugs but a war on the most vulnerable in our society,” Acidre emphasized.
The next House Quad Committee hearing is scheduled for October 22.
“The Tingog party-list demands justice for every victim of these operations, and we will not stop until every individual responsible—no matter how powerful—is held accountable. The blood of thousands cries out for justice, and we will not turn a blind eye,” Acidre stressed.
He called on the public to remain vigilant regarding further revelations to uncover the depth of corruption and violence under the Duterte administration.
