MANILA, Philippines – PINABULAANAN ni chief legal counsel at dating tagapagsalita ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo ‘Digong” Roa Duterte na si Atty. Salvador Panelo ang alegasyon ni dating police colonel Royina Garma, na iniutos di umano ng dating Pangulo ang pag-aalok ng reward para sa drug war killings ng kaniyang administrasyon sa bansa.
Binanggit din ni Panelo ang ilang puntos na kumukuwestiyon sa katotohanan ng akusasyon ni Garma.
Tinanong ni Panelo si Garma kung paano niya nalaman ang operasyon ng ‘war on drugs’ kung hindi niya inaamin na naging bahagi siya nito, isang operator, o isang executioner ng drug war model ng Davao, na ayon kay Garma ay inspirasyon ng malawakang drug war campaign.
“Garma claims she declined being part of the alleged intended replication of the ‘Davao model,’ if that is so, she could not have any knowledge of the Davao model plan—assuming there was one—if it was pursued or operated,” ang sinabi ni Panelo.
Kapansin-pansin aniya na ang kaalaman ni Garma ay “hearsay” lamang lahat, lalo pa’t ang impormasyon na mayroon ito ay ipinarating lamang sa kanya ng kanyang sources, at siya ay “absolutely no personal knowledge.”
“What is evident is that Garma may have succumbed to threat or intimidation under pain of incarceration if she did not make the allegations contained in her affidavit,” ang sinabi ni Panelo.
Sa isinagawang pagdinig ng House quad committee nitong Biyernes, Oktubre 11, sinabi ni Garma na kinontak siya ni Duterte noong Mayo 2016 upang lumikha umano ng national task force para sa giyera kontra ilegal na droga, na kapareho umano ng “Davao Model.”
Ayon kay Garma, ang “Davao Model” umano ay tumutukoy sa sistemang may kinalaman sa “payment” at “rewards” kung saan may tatlo raw itong antas.
Duda rin si Panelo sa mga pahayag ni Garma dahil noon lamang July 2016 umupo si Digong Duterte bilang Pangulo ng bansa.
“The so-called Davao model of payment and rewards is pure imagination or fertile speculation,” ang sinabi ni Panelo.
Sinabi ni Panelo “one cannot launch a successful war on drugs without an effective legal strategy to neutralize the drug cartel and organized crime, which necessarily will involve funding from the government.”
“Police operations must be sufficiently financed for effective enforcement of the laws against illegal drug trafficking,” aniya pa rin.
Sinabi ni Panelo na “no such animal” bilang dating Pangulong Duterte ang nagbibigay ng reward money kapalit para patayin ang drug lord, dealer o pusher o drug addict.
“When FPRRD (former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte) declared war on drugs and made a statement that he would kill those involved in illegal drugs, he was making a commitment that he would pursue them to the ends of the earth to prosecute and put them behind bars, which he did during his incumbency—resulting to its almost total destruction that brought security and peace of mind to the citizenry,” ayon kay Panelo.
“When he was a candidate for President in 2016, he made a vow that he would eradicate the illegal drug menace, run after criminals, kick out corrupt government officials and give his countrymen comfortable lives,” aniya pa rin.
Winika pa ni Panelo na tanging ang mga political enemies lamang ni Digong Duterte ang nasa likod ng ‘false allegations’ laban sa dating lider.
“The political enemies and detractors of FPRRD will not stop at throwing the kitchen sink at him by using coercion and money to compel persons to testify falsely against him,” ang winika ni Panelo.
“These political scoundrels will not succeed. The Filipino people can see through their evil intentions,” aniya pa rin. Kris Jose
