Royina Garma (lef) and former president Rodrigo Duterte (Facebook, Malacañang photo)
 

Retired police colonel and former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma has been cited for contempt by the House quad-committee for "lying and evading questions" on her supposed ties with former president Rodrigo Duterte. 

Garma immediately broke down in tears after the special four-way panel chaired by Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers carried the motion. 

She was ordered to stay indefinitely at the House of Representatives detention facility in Batasan Pambaansa Complex, or until the quad-comm terminates its probe on the alleged interconnected issues of extrajudicial killings (EJKs), illegal drugs, money-laundering, and Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). 

But Barbers says that Garma would be let go if she tell the truth. 

Quad-comm co-chairman Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen "Caraps" Paduano moved for the contempt citation after Garma kept changing her answer to arguably the most intriguing question asked in the inquiry. 

"Last na lang, ma'am (This is for the last time, ma'am) are you close and special to the president?" the fiery solon asked, referring to Duterte. 

"For me Mr. Chair, I don't feel close and special," Garma answered. 

"You're lying...before he became president of this republic, you're very close to the [former] president...now, you deny?...lahat ng positions mo juicy (all the positions you held were juicy)," Paduano told the retired colonel, who spent much of her active service in Davao City--Duterte’s stomping grounds. 

When a visibly shaken Garma changed her answer just seconds later to "Perhaps, Mr. Chair, I'm special," Paduano further became annoyed and went ahead with his contempt citation. 

"Perhaps ka na naman (Perhaps again)?...for the record, I move to cite in contempt because the resource person is evading to answer questions," he said. 

Duterte, a former long-time Davao mayor, was Philippine president from 2016 to 2022. 

It was established earlier in the hearing that Garma was appointed PCSO general manager in June 2019 just 15 days after her retirement from the police force. Garma said she applied for the position, although it was never announced vacant. 

"For all those qualified applicants...why you? Why you?" asked Paduano. 

The Abang Lingkod solon also said that it was Garma who helped her classmates in the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) gain promotions from Duterte during their time in the service. 

Paduano sought the promotion documents of these individuals during the hearing.

'Ganun ka kalakas'

Garma--after she had composed herself--later admitted during the interpellation of Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop that she had a direct line to then-president Duterte in Malacañang, for as long as she coordinated first with Senator Christopher "Bong" Go. 

Acop reminded Garma that she made an announcement of her early retirement during a flag ceremony on June 22, 2019. 

"And two days thereafter, former president Rodrigo Duterte announced your appointment as PCSO general manager. Ganun ka kalakas (That's how much you hold sway over the president)," the retired police brigadier general-turned-congressman said. 

'Director' of prison killings 

During Thursday's hearing, Garma was also tagged as the "director" of the killings of three suspected Chinese drug lords within the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) in August 2016. 

At least four witnesses in the House quad-committee (quad-comm) Thursday, Sept 12 identified Garma as the one who directly gave instructions on, or coordinated the operation to eliminate Chinese nationals Chu Kin Tung, also known as Tony Lim; Li Lan Yan, alias Jackson Li; and Wong Meng Pin, alias Wang Ming Ping. 

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https://mb.com.ph/2024/9/12/house-quad-comm-cites-roque-for-contempt-a-2nd-time-here-s-why

The witnesses include self-confessed hitmen Leopoldo “Tata” Tan Jr. and Fernando “Andy” Magdadaro, who carried out the killings; former DPPF warden Supt. Gerardo Padilla; and former police officer Jimmy Fortaleza, Garma’s classmate at the PNPA. 

It was Surigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel who spelled it out for everyone in the hearing when he manifested, "Si Col. Garma ang nagsilbing ‘director’ ng pagpatay sa tatlong Chinese drug lords noong 2016." 

(Col. Garma served as the 'director' in the killing of Chinese drug lords in 2016.) 

In his interpellation, Pimentel emphasized that Garma had multiple contacts with key figures involved in the bloody DPPF operation. 

“Inamin niya na siya mismo ang nagbigay ng mga direktiba. Tatlong beses silang nag-usap ni Jimmy Fortaleza para siguruhin na magiging maayos ang operasyon,” Pimentel said, referring to Garma’s admission of having conversations with Fortaleza. 

(She admitted that she herself issued the directives. She spoke to Jimmy Fortaleza thrice to ensure that the operation would go smoothly.) 

Garma, however, denied that these discussions were related to the plan to kill the Chinese drug lords. 

Tan, Magdadaro, and Padilla testified that Duterte ordered the killings of the suspected Chinese drug lords as part of his war on illegal drugs. 

The final contact between Garma and Fortaleza allegedly took place on Aug 11, 2016, just before the prisoners were killed. 

According to Pimentel, Garma instructed Fortaleza to ensure the Chinese prisoners were fed and taken care of before their deaths.