Bong Go’s aide summoned to next House hearing on drug war

Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives’ Quad Committee has summoned Irmina Espino, a trusted aide of Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and an alleged accomplice in the financial operations related to the Duterte administration’s drug war.

During the hearing on Friday, Oct. 11, retired police colonel Royina Garma said Go was working with Espino, who is also known as “Muking.”

Garma also implicated Espino in “sensitive communications and financial dealings” related to the drug war.

She testified that in 2016, Espino reached out to her to obtain then-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Region 11 Chief Col. Edilberto Leonardo’s contact information at then-President Rodrigo Duterte’s request.

“A certain individual named Muking contacted me by phone to request Leonardo’s contact details, which I promptly provided,” Garma noted in her affidavit to the Quad Committee.

According to Garma, Espina was a staff member in Go’s office at the Davao City Hall during Duterte’s time as mayor.

Espina continued to work with Go when he became Special Assistant to then-President Duterte, serving as assistant secretary in his office, Garma added.

Quad Committee overall chair Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers emphasized the urgency of investigating Espino’s involvement in the financial transactions related to the drug war.

“Comsec (Committee Secretariat), please coordinate with the PMS (Presidential Management Staff) and invite the name Muking,” Barbers ordered during the quad hearing.

In her affidavit submitted to the Quad Committee on Friday, Garma implicated Duterte and Go in orchestrating a nationwide campaign that led to the extrajudicial killings of drug suspects during the Duterte administration.

READ: Garma says Davao drug war template, rewards system applied in entire PH

Go denied the allegations against him on Saturday, saying he has “no participation whatsoever, directly or indirectly, in the operational requirements of the war on drugs.”