Quad comm: Testimonial evidence on EJKs 'strong'

Bato: I will wait for that evidence

- By DELON PORCALLA

Mere denials cannot overturn the testimonial as well as documentary evidence linking officials of the previous administration to the alleged extrajudicial killings in Rodrigo Duterte's brutal war on drugs, congressmen said yesterday.

Key members of the House of Representatives' four-committee panel known as the quad comm - chairmen Dan Fernandez of Sta. Rosa City in Laguna, Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte and Bienvenido Abante Jr. of Manila - said the cash reward system in the anti-drug campaign has been documented.

Fernandez said at least two witnesses - retired police colonel and former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Royina Garma and police Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido - testified that a scheme of payouts to those who killed drug suspects existed.

"Not only did it exist; it was managed by higher-ups, meaning by Malacañang," Fernandez, chairman of the House committee on public order and safety, said, referring to the Duterte administration.

"The evidence so far unearthed in the quad comm belies Senators Bato (Ronald dela Rosa) and (Bong) Go's denials of EJK involvement and existence of the reward system that was public knowledge during the previous administration, particularly in the Philippine National Police (PNP)," Fernandez added.

Barbers, lead chair of the quad comm and chair of the House committee on dangerous drugs, cited Espenido's testimony that millions, or perhaps billions, in reward money "flowed from the level of Sen. Bong Go, a close aide of former president Duterte." Quoting Espenido, Barbers said the reward system was funded by money from jueteng and other illegal gambling activities, intelligence funds, PCSO's notorious small-town lottery (STL) operations and POGOS.

"Our impression is that the intelligence funds came from the Office of the President and the PNP. When these funds are audited, we will find out who is telling the truth or lying," said Barbers.