There was no pressure on a retired police officer prominent during the Duterte administration to testify in the ongoing House of Representatives hearing on the controversial war on drugs that has revealed a number of high-profile personalities, a ranking lawmaker said on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
House quad committee co-chairperson and Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Barbers crushed aside claims from former officials that PCol Royina Garma (ret.) was pressured to testify against former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Prinessure siya? Hindi ho ginawa yun sa Kongreso. She was with her lawyer. In fact, kung napansin nyo, na-obserbahan nyo, nung hearing na yun, yung araw na yun, gabi na nung inilabas niya yung kanyang affidavit. Dahil naka-gabay yung kanyang abogado para masabi niya, gusto niyang sabihin na katanggap-tanggap sa komite,” Barbers told NewsWatch Plus in an interview on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
The lawmaker noted that Garma had expressed her intention to disclose more information regarding the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
“Mukhang meron pa siyang gustong idagdag. Apparently, dun sa huling pagdinig, nabanggit niya doon na kung meron pa akong matatandaan at meron pa akong may dadagdag na impormasyon, gagawin ko po yan, magpapasa po ako ng supplemental affidavit. Iyon ang iniintay namin kung meron pa siyang nasabihin. As of now, as we speak, nasa detention facility siya,” said Barbers.
Ex-Duterte chief presidential legal counsel and spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Garma’s knowledge of the Duterte drug war was “hearsay.”
“What is evident is that Garma may have succumbed to threat or intimidation under pain of prolonged incarceration if she did not make the allegations contained in her affidavit,” said Panelo in a statement.
Barbers said Garma should provide more evidence and have another witness corroborate her statement.
“She should substantiate her claims. Anyway, she has given her statement. She has to corroborate this with another witness, or maybe some documentary evidence that will corroborate her statement para magkaroon ng klarong litrato o picture kung ano nga ba yung pagkakaugnay o pagkaka-involve nitong mga personalidad na nabanggit niya,” he said.
