đź“·Ret. police Col. Edilberto Leonardo
Retired police colonel Edilberto Leonardo said on Tuesday, October 22, that there was a reward system in the past administration’s bloody illegal drug war.
Leonardo made the confirmation during the ninth hearing of the House of Representatives quad committee, which began on Tuesday and extended into Wednesday, where Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. requested that Leonardo respond with a simple “yes” or “no” to his questions.
“Do you believe that there is a reward system?” Abante asked Leonardo.
“Yes, Mr. Chair,” Leonardo replied. However, he later stated that he had no personal experience and that his response was based on accounts he had heard from fellow officers in the police force.
On October 11, Garma testified before the quad committee, revealing that former president Rodrigo Duterte contacted her in May 2016 regarding the establishment of a task force to implement the drug war on a national level, using the “Davao model.”
The Davao model refers to a payment system that rewarded participants in the drug war for successful killings, financed planned operations, and reimbursed operational costs.
Garma explained that the Davao model offered cash incentives ranging from P20,000 to P1 million to police officers who killed drug suspects.
Garma noted that Duterte specified that the head of the task force should be a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), which led her to involve Leonardo.
Additionally, Garma stated that Leonardo informed her he had proposed a plan for the task force’s operations, which was relayed through Senator Bong Go, who was serving as Duterte’s special assistant at the time.
Her second affidavit also affirmed the existence of the Davao Death Squad. Leonardo later supported Garma’s testimonies.
Leonardo clarified that the proposal to establish a task force that would replicate the Davao model on a national scale did not materialize, as it was replaced by Oplan Double Barrel, which implemented the drug war. He also stated that he was not the “paymaster” of the reward scheme.
Additionally, he confirmed that he had been assigned to lead the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Davao Region to validate drug war-related information for Senator Bong Go, who reported directly to Duterte. (TCSP)
