Former president Duterte's spokesman and chief legal counsel, lawyer Salvador Panelo, on Saturday, Oct. 12, denied the allegations made by former police colonel Royina Garma, who said it was Duterte who supposedly spearheaded the country's war on drug model that was driven by cash reward.
In a statement, Panelo raised several points that questioned the truthfulness of Garma's accusations.
The former presidential chief counsel asked how Garma could have known the supposed operation of the war on drugs if she did not admit to being a part, an operator, or an executioner of the Davao's drug war model, which she claimed was the inspiration of the nationwide drug war campaign.
"Garma claims she declined being part of the alleged intended replication of the 'Davao model,' if that is so, she could not have any knowledge of the Davao model plan—assuming there was one—if it was pursued or operated," Panelo said.
Panelo also said it was noticeable that Garma's knowledge was all "hearsay," since the information that she supposedly had was only conveyed and relayed to her by her sources, and that she has "absolutely no personal knowledge."
"What is evident is that Garma may have succumbed to threat or intimidation under pain of incarceration if she did not make the allegations contained in her affidavit," Panelo said.
During a marathon hearing of the House quad-committee (quad-comm) that lasted until Friday night, Oct. 11, Garma, who is also the former general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), made a revelation about the Duterte's administration war on drugs.
In a four-page affidavit that she read emotionally during the hearing, she said the previous fight against illegal drugs was based on the Davao model that had "three levels of payments or rewards."
"First is the reward if the suspect is killed. Second is the funding of planned operations (or COPLANS). Third is the refund of operational expenses," she said.
Garma claimed Duterte, who is also the former mayor of Davao City, called her in May 2016 to request for a meeting at his residence.
"l was already acquainted with then-Mayor Duterte, having served as a station commander in one of the police stations in Davao during his tenure," she said.
"During our meeting, he requested that I locate a Philippine National Police (PNP) officer or operative who is a member of the lglesia Ni Cristo, indicating that he needed someone capable of implementing the war on drugs on a national scale, replicating the Davao model," she added.
But Panelo, in the same statement, doubted Garma's statement, saying that it was only in July 2016 that Duterte assumed his position as the president.
"The so-called Davao model of payment and rewards is pure imagination or fertile speculation," Panelo said.
He also said that one cannot launch a successful war on drugs "without an effective legal strategy to neutralize the drug cartel and organized crime, which necessarily will involve funding from the government."
"Police operations must be sufficiently financed for effective enforcement of the laws against illegal drug trafficking," he said.
Panelo said there is "no such animal" as former president Duterte, giving reward money in exchange for killing a drug lord, a dealer or a pusher or a drug addict.
"When FPRRD (former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte) declared war on drugs and made a statement that he would kill those involved in illegal drugs, he was making a commitment that he would pursue them to the ends of the earth to prosecute and put them behind bars, which he did during his incumbency—resulting to its almost total destruction that brought security and peace of mind to the citizenry," Panelo said.
"When he was a candidate for President in 2016, he made a vow that he would eradicate the illegal drug menace, run after criminals, kick out corrupt government officials and give his countrymen comfortable lives," he added.
Panelo claimed that it was only Duterte's political enemies who were behind the false allegations against the former leader.
"The political enemies and detractors of FPRRD will not stop at throwing the kitchen sink at him by using coercion and money to compel persons to testify falsely against him," he said.
"These political scoundrels will not succeed. The Filipino people can see through their evil intentions," he added.