Ex-Napolcom exec confirms drug kill rewards

MANILA, Philippines — The purported state-sanctioned executions during the six-year administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte achieved another case breakthrough near midnight Tuesday after one of his trusted police aides supported the exposé of original whistle-blower, former police colonel Royina Garma.

Retired police colonel Edilberto Leonardo, whom Duterte appointed as National Police Commission (Napolcom) commissioner but who has since resigned, affirmed before Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. that he “believes” Garma’s first and supplemental affidavits.

This brings to three the total number of main witnesses, including retired police colonel Jovie Espenido, who have detailed the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) that reached 20,000 until mid-2022 and admitted that such Duterte-sanctioned executions occurred and carried rewards for police.

Leonardo, at the same time, replied “yes” to two questions of Manila 6th District Rep. Benny Abante on whether he agreed with Garma’s two affidavits relating to Oplan: Tokhang and Double Barrel, along with their accompanying rewards for policemen who will carry out the direct hits.

“I’ll ask you two questions answerable only by yes or no. I’m not going to ask any more explanation. Do you believe Garma’s exposé? Second, do you believe in its rewards system?” Abante, who chairs the House of Representatives human rights committee, asked, to which Leonardo replied, “Yes, your honor” both times.

Leonardo confirmed before lawmakers that Duterte indeed organized a meeting in July 2016 where the so-called Davao model of the drug war would be elevated to a national scale, after the latter, a former Davao City mayor, won the presidency in the May 2016 elections.

This also developed as the House quad committee cited in contempt demoted Maj. Leo Laraga for lying after he tried to evade answering direct questions of Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop, who sits as vice chairman of the panel, about the November 2016 raid at Abuyog provincial jail in Leyte.

This is in relation to the alleged murder of Albuera town mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. inside the prison facility, which operatives from the Philippine National