đˇAtty. Harry Roque
TWO most trusted lieutenants of the former President were cited in contempt by the quad committee investigating drug war, illegal POGO ang extrajudicial killings during the previous administration.
Cited in contempt were former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque for his absence for which he wasn’t able to submit1 subpoenaed documents related to POGO.
Likewise cited in contempt former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma for declining to respond to congressional queries.
Only Garma was detained at the lower house’s detention quarter after legislators forming part of the quad comm blew their top over the former PCSO official’s false testimony during the joint panelâs probe into the 2016 killing of three convicted Chinese drug traffickers at the Davao penal colony.
During previous hearings, two Davao penal colony inmates owned up killing Chinese drug convicts on “orders of then CIDG regional director Col. Garma as allegedly directed by former President Rodrigo Duterte.”
Roque for his part is under scrutiny over his supposed engagement as lawyer for the raided Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga following reports of human trafficking, torture and other criminal activities in the compound.
Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro earlier asked the quad comm to subpoena documents, which include Roqueâs statement of assets, liabilities and net worth — which according her her are crucial to the probe of the joint panel.
âThe quad committee has established overwhelming circumstantial evidence showing the connection of Atty. Harry Roque to Lucky South 99, which is a POGO operation,â she said.
In view of his absence for three consecutive times in a row, the joint panel ordered Roqueâs arrest and detention for the second time even after he filed a motion to quash to subpoena.
Roque, himself a lawyer, invoked his right to privacy and against self-incrimination for which Luistro said: âThe right of the people to access information on matters of public concern generally prevails over the right to privacy,â citing the case of Standard Chartered Bank vs. Senate Committee on Banks.
âIn the hierarchy of rights, the right to information is much, much higher than a public officialâs right to privacy,â she argued.
As for the right against self-incrimination, Luistro said it applies only to testimonial evidence.
Meanwhile, the quad committee zoomed its questions to Garma on the extent of her closeness to Duterte in relation to the disclosures made by two inamtes who admitted killing three convicted Chinese druglords Tiu Kin Tung, Li Lan Yan and Wong Meng Ping on the supposed Duterte kill order that was relayed by Garma to the former warden of the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF).
âThe directive to kill the three Chinese suspects came from former president Duterte and this was implemented through Colonels Garma and (Edilberto) Leonardo using two inmates facing long prison terms at the DPPF,â Supt. Gerardo Padilla told the joint panel.
After the completion of the “job” Leopoldo Untalan Jr. and Fernando Magdadaro assailed the Duterte administration of double-cross amid failure to keep with its promise to set them free.
They however admitted receiving P1 million each as promised.
During the hearing, Garma told House officials how she got the PCSO appointment despite her lack of qualification, as well as details of her retirement when she still had 10 years in service.
Garma, who has denied that she was a trusted ally of Duterte, will remain under the custody of the House until the quad committee terminates its hearings. (ANGEL F. JOSE)
