THE House Quad Comm has issued a show cause order for seven individuals, including a close aide of Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, to explain why they should not be cited for contempt after failing to attend Tuesday’s hearing despite receiving invitations.
The individuals named are Irmina Espino, Peter Parungo, Rommel Bactat, Rodel Cerbo, Michael Palma, Lester Berganio and Sanson Buenaventura, all mentioned by former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office General Manager Royina Garma in her affidavit confirming a police reward system during the brutal war on drugs under former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
Garma’s testimony revealed that the drug war operated through a reward system incentivizing police officers to kill individuals on Duterte’s controversial “drug list,” contributing to thousands of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and human rights violations.
As a retired police officer with close ties to Duterte, Garma detailed how the campaign was executed under the former president’s direct orders, with Go and retired Police Col. Edilberto Leonardo playing key roles.
She explained that the nationwide campaign replicated the “Davao Model” used when Duterte was mayor, compensating officers only for killings during operations, with cash rewards ranging from ₱20,000 to ₱1 million based on the target.
Garma recalled that shortly after Duterte was elected president in 2016, he asked her to find a Philippine National Police (PNP) officer to implement the war on drugs, leading her to recommend Leonardo, chief of the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Region 11.
Leonardo later became Undersecretary at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Commissioner of the National Police Commission (Napolcom).
Garma testified that Leonardo formed a task force with operatives like Bactat, Cerbo and Palma, responsible for intelligence gathering and overseeing police operations.
Reports were processed by Berganio, who maintained a list of drug personalities for Leonardo to evaluate and assign rewards.
Espino, known as “Muking” or “Moking,” was identified by Garma as a key figure in the financial operations.
A staff member in Go’s office during Duterte’s term as Davao mayor, Espino reportedly continued to work with Go as an Assistant Secretary at the Office of the Special Assistant to the President.
Garma revealed that Espino contacted her for Leonardo’s contact details and later became instrumental in financial transactions related to the rewards.
Garma noted that the task force’s initial structure was simplified over time, and although she had limited involvement, she facilitated early meetings between Go and Leonardo.
Garma also disclosed that the national drug trade was embedded within the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), recounting a conversation she overheard between Leonardo and BuCor officer Supt. Gerardo Padilla about drug activities in the Davao Penal Colony.
She specifically named Peter Lim as being involved in the drug network in the Visayas, underscoring the extensive control drug lords had over operations across the country.
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