Former Cebu City Mayor Tommy Osmeña (left), Royina Garma (Facebook)

Retired Philippine National Police (PNP) Colonel Royina Garma allegedly received P4 million in monthly "payola" payments during the time that she headed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Davao City. 

Thus, claimed former Cebu City congressman and mayor Tommy Osmeña, who made an appearance at the House quad-committee (quad-comm) hearing Thursday, Sept. 18 to set the record straight on Garma's remarks. 

“I was made aware that in then previous hearing that Col. Garma said that our differences was personal. I just want you to know Mr. Chairman that I did not know her,” Osmeña told the special four-way panel. 

Osmeña said he opposed Garma’s transfer to Cebu City on July 1, 2018 as the city's first ever female chief of police after receiving information that she allegedly collected P1 million in payoffs a week--around P4 million per month--during her stint as Davao City's CIDG head. 

Even then, she was already reported to be very close to then-president Rodrigo Duterte, a former longtime Davao mayor. 

“It (report) says that when Garma was head of CIDG she was collecting P1 million a week. I cannot accept this for Cebu City. And her bagman was a certain SPO4 Art,” Osmeña told the solons. 

“Now it appears that SPO4 Art is not only a lover. She brought this policeman with her when she was appointed to PCSO (Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office),” he added. 

Garma gained the plum post thanks to Duterte’s appointment in 2019. This came a few days after she availed herself of early retirement from the PNP. 

Osmeña said he was told by someone that Duterte was against him "because of a woman" and not because of politics. He said that the same person told him that Garma will be appointed to the PCSO. 

He said Garma was so influential that she had him suspended for one year by the Office of the Ombudsman after defending three vendors who were being harassed by policemen. 

“Fortunately the Ombudsman reversed its decision. The decision came out today. I am no longer suspended, I’m not even a mayor any more,” Osmeña said. 

Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez, a quad-comm co-chairman, said that the "lover" Osmeña was referring to must be SPO4 Arthur Narsolis. Narsolis had been implicated by two witnesses to the extrajudicial killing of three Chinese drug lords inside the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) in August 2016. 

Resource persons have traced the alleged kill order from Duterte himself, suppsoedly under the "direction" of Garma. 

Garma is under detention in the House of Representatives after the quad-comm cited her in contempt last week for lying. 

Osmeña, whom the joint panel invited to shed light on an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) the authorities raided in Lapu-Lapu City last month, told Quad Comm that he knows more about extrajudicial killings (EJKs) than POGOs. 

“I can tell you that there were innocent policemen and civilians killed. I will tell you more in your next hearing,” he said. 

“I am very happy that this committee is giving us the opportunity to air these things which you could further investigate,” Osmeña added. 

He told the committee that he would be happy to give information when the panel takes up the topic of EJKs during the previous administration.