Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. (left), Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez (Facebook)

 

Police Col. Hector Grijaldo was flat out "lying" when he told the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Monday, Oct. 28 that two congressmen attempted to force him into corroborating a damning testimony of House quad-committee (quad-comm) witness Royina Garma on the previous Duterte administration's war on drugs. 

Castigating Grijaldo were quad-comm co-chairmen Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez and Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. 

Grijaldo, a resource person in the Blue Ribbon panel hearing, told senators that Fernandez and Abante allegedly called him into a room with lawyers and coerced him into signing an affidavit backing Garma's claims about the existence of a cash reward system during former president Rodrigo Duterte's bloody anti-narcotics campaign. 

The active Philippine National Police (PNP) official said he "feel insulted" that he was asked to confirm something that wasn't true. 

But the two House members were quick to call balooney on Grijaldo's claims, as contained in his own affidavit that he read before the senators. 

Fernandez described it as “lies of the highest level”, and an attempt to undermine the quad-comm’s ongoing investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the drug war. 

He asserted that the House mega-panel didn't pressure Grijaldo to support any statements from former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma. 

“Lies ‘yan. Pinatawag siya (Grijaldo) because the lawyer of Col. Garma told us na may alam siya sa reward system. We never asked him to sign any affidavit,” Fernandez said. 

(Those are lies. He was called because the lawyer of Col. Garma told us 

“This is their way to discredit the quad-committee, but the truth will bail us out. Nothing will prevent us from pursuing justice for all the lives lost,” added the Laguna congressman. 

Fernandez explained that Garma herself had suggested Grijaldo’s involvement, and that he had knowledge of the alleged slay-for-pay scheme. 

“Prior to the quad-committee hearing, Col. Garma requested a meeting, so I asked Chair Ace Barbers to join me as a witness,” Fernandez said, referring to quad-comm overall chairman Surigao del Norte 2nd Rep. Robert Ace Barbers. 

He continued, “Major Mola, a friend of Garma, mentioned she was prepared to reveal the truth, but as soon as Col. Grijaldo, supposedly her friend, joined the discussion, everything changed. It’s no wonder Col. Grijaldo became a ‘pain in the neck’ for Col. Garma.” 

Senate inquiry slammed 

Abante, also implicated in Grijaldo’s statements, denied any coercion and criticized the Senate hearing as being biased. 

“There is no truth to the accusations that I forced anyone to sign any affidavit in exchange for favors or the possibility of promotions,” Abante, a pastor-preacher, said. 

“It is clear from the conduct of the Senate hearing that a conflict of interest exists and compromises the Senate’s ability to hold fair and impartial proceedings. Senators can either be subjects of the hearing or be involved in conducting it—they cannot be both," added.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte (Malacañang photo)

Fernandez responds to Duterte's threat 

The high-profile resource person during the Blue Ribbon panel hearing was Duterte himself. 

Following Grijaldo’s testimony, Duterte manifested that he would file a “subornation of perjury” case against Fernandez, as the former alleges an attempt to improperly influence police official's testimony. 

“Carry on; nothing will prevent us to pursue the truth of all the killings,” Fernandez said in his message to Duterte. 

Despite the allegations, Fernandez and Abante remained resolute as they vowed to continue the quad-comm's investigation. 

“In the end, we believe the truth will come out, and those responsible will ultimately be held accountable for these heinous crimes against our people,” Abante said.