THE former warden of the Davao Prison and Penal Farm has affirmed that former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte congratulated him after two inmates murdered three Chinese drug lords inside the prison.
Supt. Gerardo Padilla, currently the head of the Directorate for Reformation of the Bureau of Corrections in New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, made the affirmation in a supplemental affidavit signed last Sept. 4.
In his supplemental affidavit, Padilla supported the statements made by Leopoldo “Tata” Tan Jr. in a sworn statement last Aug. 21 about a call supposedly made by then President Duterte after Tan and Fernando “Andy” Magdadaro stabbed to death the three Chinese drug lords on the night of Aug. 13, 2016.
The three victims were Chu Kin Tung, also known as Tony Lim; Li Lan Yan, alias Jackson Li; and Wong Meng Pin, alias Wang Ming Ping.
Padilla said he has read Tan’s sworn statement, in which Tan recalled that the warden arrived in the cell where he and Magdadaro killed the Chinese drug lords after the incident.
He said Duterte called while he, Tan and Magdadaro, who were handcuffed, were walking to the prison’s investigation section.
“Pinapatotohanan ko ang sinabi ni Tata na noong papunta kami sa investigation section ay tumunog ang cellphone ko, at ito ay sinagot ko. Ang tumawag sa akin ay si dating Presidente Rodrigo Roa Duterte at sinabing, ‘Congrats, Superintendent Padilla, job well done. Pero grabe yung ginawa, ginawang dinuguan’,” he said.
“Pagkatapos akong tawagan in dating Presidente Duterte, sinabihan ko ang mga kasama ko na, ‘Tumawag si Presidente, nag-congrats sa akin’,” he added.
Padilla pointed out that concern for his safety and that of his family in Davao City has prompted him to initially deny Duterte’s congratulatory call.
“Napilitan lamang ako sabihin sa aking counter-affidavit dated August 27, 2024 na wala akong natanggap na tawag galing kay dating Presidente Duterte for the security and safety of my family and myself,” he stressed.
In a second supplemental affidavit signed last Sept. 9, Padilla attested to the accuracy of the assertions of former policeman Jimmy Fortaleza on the circumstances surrounding the killing of the three drug lords.
Fortaleza has claimed that in the first week of August 2016, then Police Col. Royina Garma called him to ask if she could talk to Padilla. He went to the warden’s office and gave the mobile phone to him but he did not hear Padilla and Garma’s conversation.
“Ang mga salaysay na ito ni Jimmy M. Fortaleza ay pinapatotohanan ko dahil ito ay talagang nangyari habang ako ay nasa-assign sa Davao Prison and Penal Farm noong 2016,” Padilla said.
“Habang kami ay nag-uusap ni Col. Royina Garma sa telepono nang mga oras na iyon ay sinabi niya na, ‘Huwag kang makikialam, may mga tao kami diyan sa loob. Alam mo naman na programa ito ni Presidente Durterte sa drug war’,” he said.
He recalled that before the three Chinese were murdered, Col. Edilberto Leonardo asked him to go to the Davao CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) office.
“Pagdating ko sa station ay nadoon na si Col. Garma. Kinausap ako ni Col. Leonardo ng mga 30 minutes at sinabi na, ‘Papapatay na namin ang tatlong Chinese na nandoon sa Davao Prison and Penal Farm, mag-cooperate ka na lang.’ Habang kami ay nag-uusap ay pinangakuan ako ng promotion,” Padilla said.
“Ang lahat ng sinabi ko sa salaysay na ito ay karagdagan sa mga nauna kong salaysay. Ang mga ito ay pawang katotohanan lamang at walang sino man ang nagturo o nag-impluwensiya sa akin para sabihin ito,” he asserted.
Garma is reportedly close to Duterte, who named her as Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager after she retired.
She is one of the resource persons being asked by the House of Representatives Quad Comm looking into extra-judicial killings, the drug menace and illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators.
