Former president Rodrigo Duterte (Malacañang photo)

This claim puts a whole new spin to the phrase, "blood money". 

Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. has bared that money generated by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) during the time of former president Rodrigo Duterte was used as cash rewards for police officers who took part in the latter's bloody war on illegal drugs. 

Abante, chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights, made this revelation during a press conference Wednesday, Aug. 7. 

During the presser, it was announced that the newly-formed and unprecedented "quad-committee" will launch on Aug. 15 its joint probe on the "interconnected" issues of POGO, illegal drugs, and the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the Duterte drug war. 

The four panels are the Committees on Human rights, on Public Order and Safety, on Dangerous Drugs, and on Public Accounts. 

Asked about the participation of his panel in the all-encompassing inquiry, Abante answered by dropping a bombshell. 

“There are exchange[s] of money here,” said rhe pastor-congressman, who was referring to the alleged cash incentives given to cops who manage to score kills during the drug war. 

He said he had learned that the reward money came from POGOs, which proliferated in the country during the previous Duterte administration. 

“There's a reward system. Ibig sabihin, sa reward system na yan, kapag nakapatay ka ng drug pusher, may reward ka. Nalaman namin na--this is a testimony of one of the policemen that we have, officers--from 20,000 to 60,000 ang ibinabayad dyan,” Abante said. 

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https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/5/house-panel-told-20-322-drug-suspects-slain-during-first-17-months-of-duterte-admin

(This means that in this reward system, when you managed to kill a pusher, you get a reward. We've learned that--this is a testimony of one of the policemen that we have, officers--they get paid between P20,000 to P60,000.) 

While this reward system for cops has been claimed before, Abante was the first to raise  Wednesday the possibility that the POGO industry was the one bankrolling it. 

Before the quad-committee was conceived earlier this week, Abante's panel had already carried out five hearings on the EJKs allegedly committed during the previous administration. 

In one hearing last June, the panel learned that 20,322 drug suspects were slain between July 1, 2016 and Nov. 27, 2017--roughly the first 17 months under former president Duterte.  

The human rights committee had earlier invited president Duterte to take part as a resource person, but the latter declined. 

President Marcos, Duterte's successor, has ordered a total ban on POGOs.