SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go played a significant role in the transition of controversial former Police Col. Royina Garma from a career in law enforcement to becoming the General Manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) during the time of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
This came to light during the fifth hearing of the House Quad Committee, which is investigating alleged extrajudicial killings tied to the Duterte administration’s brutal war on drugs and its connections to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and drug trade.
During her interpellation, House Assistant Majority Leader and Taguig City 2nd District Rep. Pammy Zamora questioned Garma about the process of her application to the PCSO, uncovering the key role played by Go, who was then the Special Assistant to the President.
“I submitted my application... to now Sen. Bong Go,” Garma told Zamora. “I wrote a letter addressed to the President applying for the position.”
Zamora probed further into Garma’s relationship with Go, asking if the former police colonel knew him personally.
“Lahat po ng police sa Davao kilala si Sen. Bong Go…Wala pong police na hindi nakakakilala sa kanya, lalo na po officers,” Garma replied.
Her response highlighted the deep familiarity law enforcement officials in Davao had with Go, largely due to his close association with Duterte.
Garma shared that after submitting her application to Go, she was informed that the former President would review it.
Zamora then remarked, "Babasahin ni President, and obviously nabasa niya kasi ikaw ang napiling General Manager, tama po ba?" Garma confirmed this with a yes.
She also confirmed that former President Duterte personally gave her instructions during her time as PCSO General Manager.
Garma was implicated by at least four Quad Committee resource persons as the individual who allegedly relayed instructions from former President Duterte to execute three suspected Chinese drug lords inside the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in 2016, at the onset of the previous administration’s bloody drug war.
The killings of the Chinese prisoners, as corroborated by several witnesses, are cited as evidence of the widespread extrajudicial killings linked to the controversial anti-drug campaign.
It wasn't the first time Go's name came up during the Quad Committee hearing. In a previous hearing, Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido, known as a "poster boy" of Duterte's drug war, revealed that cash rewards for cops who killed drug suspects allegedly came from POGOs and government intelligence funds.
Espenido admitted that officers benefited from a reward and quota system during Duterte’s administration, with a P20,000 reward "per kill."
He claimed the funds were allegedly funneled "downward from the level of Bong Go" and sourced from POGOs, government intelligence, and small-town lottery or "jueteng" operators.
During Thursday’s Quad Committee hearing, lawmakers took turns questioning Garma about her “closeness” to former President Duterte, pointing out the key positions she held in the police force before her appointment as PCSO General Manager.
Garma—who previously served as Davao City Police Chief, Regional Chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Region VII, and Cebu City Police Chief—was seen by lawmakers as having benefited from her close ties with Duterte, which they suggested played a role in her career advancement.
At one point, Garma admitted that she could directly visit former President Duterte in Malacañang by coordinating through Go.
Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop, a former police general, grilled Garma and other police officials on who among the Philippine National Police (PNP) had the closest ties to Duterte.
While National Police Commission Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo and Police Brig. Gen. Noel Sandoval—both Garma’s peers in Davao—cited former PNP chief and now-Senator Ronald dela Rosa as the person closest to Duterte, Acop challenged this assertion.
“I believe otherwise, Colonel. You know why? Narinig ko na minsan ‘yong sinabi ni Bato (dela Rosa), meron pang isang opisyal na mas malapit sa tenga ni former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” Acop remarked, hinting at Garma’s closer connection to the former president.
Acop confronted Garma directly about reports that she bypassed her superiors to gain direct access to Duterte through Go.
“Madam Garma, you have always denied na close ka sa Presidente. Pero there had been reports na ikaw, nakaka-deretso do’n sa Malacañang basta dumaan ka kay Senator Bong Go. Would that be correct?” Acop asked.
“Yes, your Honor,” Garma admitted, confirming her close ties to Duterte through Go.
The Quad Committee later decided to cite Garma in contempt for repeatedly evading questions from lawmakers and providing unclear answers during the hearing, particularly on her closeness with Duterte.
On a motion by Abang Lingkod Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, chair of the House Committee on Public Accounts, the Quad Committee cited Garma in contempt under Section 11(c) of the House Rules of Procedure Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation.
The joint panel, following a motion by 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez, then ordered Garma’s detention at the House facility until the investigation is concluded.
Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chair of the Committee on Dangerous Drugs and overall head of the Quad Committee, clarified that Garma could be released from detention if she decides to cooperate in the probe.
“If she changes her mind and she suddenly cooperates, then the committee will be more than willing to accommodate her motion for reconsideration,” Barbers said.
Comments