BuCor exec cited for contempt for lying during quad-panel drug probe

Lawmakers from the House of Representatives hold the third hearing of the quad-committee on Wednesday, August 28, 2024. The four panels — the committee on dangerous drugs, committee on public order and safety, committee on human rights, committee on public accounts — were tasked to probe the possible correlation between illegal activities in Pogos, the illicit drug trade, and possible human rights violations in the drug war. (Photo from the House of Representatives media bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — An official of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), who was in-charge of the Davao Penal and Prison Farm when three jailed Chinese nationals were killed in August 2016, was cited for contempt for lying and not answering about details of the incident.

During the hearing of the House of Representatives quad-committee on Wednesday, BuCor Supt. Gerardo Padilla insisted that he is not involved in the killing of Chu Kin Tung, Jackson Lee, and Peter Wang — three individuals jailed in the Davao Penal Farm for drug-related charges, whose death was allegedly ordered by former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Padilla said that he also did not receive a call from Duterte supposedly congratulating him for the hit — contrary to the claims made by self-confessed hitman Leopoldo Tan.

But what earned the ire of lawmakers was Padilla’s insistence that he was not aware of the order to transfer the Chinese nationals to the same solitary confinement cell where Tan and fellow hitman Fernando Magdadaro was placed — adding that the final order did not come from him.

When Padilla failed to directly answer Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez’ questions about who ordered the transfer of the Chinese inmates, Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano raised his voice and demanded that Padilla name the one behind the directive.

“Ganito lang po, you don’t need to check and present to us the investigation report.  Ang tanong lang ni Chairman Dan is sino ang nag-utos, if not you who is?  Who?” Paduano asked.

(You don’t need to check and present to us the investigation report.  Just answer the question of Chairman Dan as to who ordered the transfer.  Who?)

“Hindi po ako ang nag-utos (I did not order that),” Padilla replied.

“Sino nga, bakit hindi mo mabanggit sino?  Ba’t di mo mabanggit sino?  This will be your last chance?  I will cite you in contempt, you’re lying!” Paduano asked.

(Who is it, why can’t you mention the name?  Why can’t you mention him?  This will be your last chance?  I will cite you in contempt, you’re lying!)

When Padilla said the order came from another Davao Penal Farm official, Corrections Sr. Insp. Nonie Forro, lawmakers allowed the latter to explain his side.

According to Forro, he is only the third in-line in terms of approving prisoner movements

“He mentioned that there are levels of approval, I am asking you Sr. Insp. Nonie Forro, what is your ranking at the level of approval? So there’s first level, second level, you are third.  Do you issue final approval?” Dan Fernandez asked.

“Actually I am the third.  For the final approval it would come from the higher-ups,” Forro noted.

Forro further said that there was advice from Padilla to transfer the Chinese nationals.

“So after your approval you brought it to the warden, so it’s the warden who is lying.  So now, the final approval of transferring the Chinese together with the two PDLs is under your jurisdiction, warden.  Right?” Fernandez asked again.

“From the superintendent, there is an assistant superintendent, then for me who is the commander of the guards, then towards the shift commander […] Sir Gerry gave advice, there is advice from Supt. Padilla,” Forro said.

Eventually, Paduano moved that Padilla be cited for contempt.

During the previous quad-committee hearing last August 22, Tan claimed that Duterte ordered the hit on the three Chinese nationals, adding that he heard Padilla talking to a “person” over the phone after the alleged kill order was carried out.

According to Tan, the person whom Padilla is talking to — Duterte — even congratulated the jail officer.

“While we were walking to the Investigation Section, Supt. Padilla’s phone rang. I saw that he pressed his cellphone. I heard the person who called Supt. Padilla say ‘Congrats Supt. Padilla, job well done. But what was done was brutal, they turned it into blood soup’,” Tan said, reading his sworn affidavit before the quad-committee.

READ: Duterte ordered killing of 3 Chinese men in 2016, hitman claims 

Tan said they were promised money — specifically P1 million each for him and Magdadaro for every Chinese national killed — and freedom. Tan and Magdadaro were already inmates when allegedly hired to kill the jailed foreigners.

Eventually, Tan said his wife and Magdadaro’s wife received the money, but it was only P2 million for each of them. However, they did not mind losing the other million, as they clung onto the promise that they would get freed eventually.

But Tan, upon the questioning of Fernandez, said that he and Magdadaro decided to tell the truth because the promise of them getting freed was not granted.

Duterte’s allies however questioned why the quad-committee has resorted to testimonies of convicted felons, speculating that the prisoners may just be after something.