MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Aside from possible cases due to his role in the drug war, another set of complaints were recommended against former president Rodrigo Duterte, this time due to his alleged role in the killing of three Chinese nationals at the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in August 2016.
At the presentation of the House of Representatives quad committee progress report on Wednesday, lead presiding officer and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said the four panels have recommended the filing of murder complaints against Duterte and the following individuals:
- former police colonel Royina Garma
- former National Police Commission (Napolcom) commissioner Edilberto Leonardo
- Senior Police Officer 4 Arthur Narsolis
- Jail Superintendent Gerardo Padilla
Accusations against Duterte stemmed from the quad committee hearing last August 23, when self-confessed hitman Leopoldo Tan said he and Fernando Magdadaro were hired to kill Chu Kin Tung, Jackson Lee, and Peter Wang 鈥� Chinese nationals jailed for drug-related cases.
According to Tan, he heard Padilla聽talking to a 鈥減erson鈥� over the phone after the alleged kill order was carried out 鈥� and that person even congratulated the jail officer.
Tan identified the person who congratulated Padilla as former President Duterte.
READ: Duterte ordered killing of 3 Chinese men in 2016, hitman claims
Padilla initially denied knowing about the killing, but last September 12 that he indeed knew about the incident and that he was talking to Duterte.
Duterte鈥檚 ex-officials 鈥� former presidential聽spokespersons聽Harry Roque聽and Salvador Panelo聽鈥� dismissed Tan鈥檚 claims.聽 Roque said that hearings in Congress have no probative value, while Panelo questioned why Duterte鈥檚 enemies are now using convicted felons to attack him.
Earlier, Barbers also named Duterte and his key allies as among those they recommend to be charged for violation of Republic Act No. 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity.
Barayuga slay
The quad committee also recommended other cases against Garma and Padilla 鈥� officials believed to be close to Duterte when they were in office 鈥� for the killing of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Wesley Barayuga.
Aside from Garma and Padilla, also named in the recommendation were Police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza, the whistleblower who spilled the beans on the incident; Nelson Mariano, another cop tapped by Mendoza; Police S/Mst. Sgt. Jeremy Causapin; and one alias 鈥淟oloy.鈥�
During the quad committee hearing last September 27, Mendoza tagged Garma and Leonardo as those behind聽Barayuga鈥檚 killing.聽 Mendoza said Leonardo contacted him about operating a high-value drug target in the person of聽Barayuga, a former police general and a member of the Philippine Military Academy Matikas Class of 1983.
According to the police officer, he told Leonardo that he would need to think about the operation first, but the ex-Napolcom official said the operation would bode well for the police officer鈥檚 career.
Mendoza said Leonardo sent him a synopsis that would show how Barayuga was supposedly involved in the illegal drug trade, but when Mendoza said he would conduct his own study, Leonardo supposedly said that the hit already had Garma鈥檚 blessing.
When they were about to carry out the attack, Mendoza said that Leonardo informed them that Barayuga was inside the PCSO office in Mandaluyong, and Garma supposedly sent a photo of the late board secretary.聽聽A P300,000 prize money was allegedly set aside for Barayuga鈥檚 killing.
Both Leonardo and Garma have denied Mendoza鈥檚 claims.