Royina Garma (left) and former president Rodrigo Duterte (Speaker’s office, Malacañang photo)

Former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma has categorically denied having a romantic relationship with former president Rodrigo Duterte. 

Garma and Duterte's alleged relationship was mentioned in passing Friday, Sept. 27 by Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. during the House quad-committee's (quad-comm) marathon hearing. 

It was during the same hearing that Garma, a retired police colonel, was tagged as the mastermind in the assassination of PCSO board secretary Wesley Barayuga. 

Abante read out to Garma a write up from veteran broadcaster-journalist Mon Tulfo  which he found interesting. It was dated Sept. 17. 

"Marami ang naniniwala na si Garma ang utak sa pananambang kay Barayuga, isang retired brigadier general na miyembro ng PMA (Philippine Military Academy) Class 1983. Si Barayuga kasi, bilang board member ng PCSO ang humaharang sa pagbibigay ni Garma ng mga STL (small town lottery) franchises sa kanyang mga kaibigan," Abante said, quoting Tulfo. 

(A lot people believe that Garma was the brains behind the assassination of Barayuga, a retired brigadier general who was a member of PMA Class 1983. It's because Barayuga, in his capacity as PCSO board member, had been blocking Garma from giving STL franchises to her friends.) 

The quad-comm co-chairman continued: "'May news black out noon sa assassination ni Barayuga dahil alam ng mga imbestigador na si Garma at pangulong Digong ay mag-syota.' Totoo, hindi?" 

('There was a news black out then on Barayuga's assassination because the investigators knew that Garma and president Duterte were a couple.' Is this true or not?) 

"Hindi po totoo (It is not true), Mr. Chair," Garma answered. 

"Mag-syota" colloquially means a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. 

HAVE YOU READ THIS? 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/9/12/close-and-special-to-duterte-garma-breaks-down-when-pressed-about-ties-with-ex-president

Multiple resource persons in the course of the quad-comm hearings have attest to the closeness between Garma and Duterte, It was the former president who appointed Garma to the PCSO in 2019. 

During the Sept. 12 quad-comm hearing, Garma told Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen "Caraps" Paduano during the latter’s interpretation that, "Perhaps, Mr. Chair, I'm special [to Duterte]." 

Paduano cited Garma for contempt after this, as he felt that she was being evasive about her ties with Duterte. 

Barayuga was gunned down on July 31, 2020 in broad daylight in Mandaluyong City.

Garma's police-cousin ordered detained; here's why

Also during the quad-comm hearing Friday, Police Sergeant Enecito Ubales Jr., was cited for contempt for allegedly lying about the alleged more than P50 million in suspicious financial transaction linked to his first cousin, Garma. 

Ubales was orderd detained at the Quezon City Jail until the mega-panel concludes its probe. 

The decision to penalize Ubales was made after the committee, chaired by Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, determined that Ubales had been “consistently lying” during the proceedings. 

As per the testimony of resource person Police Captain Delfinito Anuba, Ubales had been involved in suspicious financial transactions that allegedly involved Garma. 

Anuba claimed that Ubales gave him P30 million to convert into US dollars, in fulfillment of Garma’s instructions. 

He said this wasn't the first time for him to perform such task, as he had previously converted P20 million plus other smaller amounts in Garma’s behalf while she served as PCSO head from 2019 to 2022. 

Anuba said the funds were sent to Garma’s former husband, Police Col. Roland Vilela, who was then assigned as a police attaché at the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, California. 

Ubales denied all of Anuba’s allegations, but the congressmen didn't buy it.