House quad panel to check if intel funds used in drug war – solon

Former President Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. —MALACAÑANG FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives’ quad committee will check if former President Rodrigo Duterte’s intelligence funds were used to reward police officers who killed suspects during the drug war, Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez bared on Tuesday.

In an interview, Fernandez said the quad panel saw that there were fluctuations in the use of intelligence funds during the Duterte administration, which can be investigated to know if these coincided with the dates when authorities were supposedly under instruction to carry out anti-drug operations.

“We saw something there regarding the intel funds from certain months when we saw that the usage increased. So maybe that is a good point for investigation if intel funds were really used for that,” Fernandez said.

“Basically, what you would look at there is the bulk of the money. Because in the first two months, we saw that there was a sudden increase, from the time of former president PNoy (Benigno Aquino III), then suddenly the intel fund usage increased,” he added.

Fernandez admitted that it would take a lot of work to ascertain where the funds were used considering its confidential nature.

“So that’s hard. The release of funds would not be too glaring because I think we can only see it with the COA (Commission on Audit) if there are submitted documents pertaining to the release of funds during that time, from 2016 to 2022. So we can see how they released the intel fund during that time,” he said.

“Because you can see that there was a huge intel fund requested by former President [Duterte] before. So we will be asking what’s the reason behind it. I’m pretty sure we would not hear it publicly, but sudden jump of intel fund, maybe we can establish that,” he added.

READ: Bong Go denies involvement in drug war, rewards system

Last Oct. 11, former police colonel Royina Garma confirmed that the Duterte administration used the “Davao template” for the national version of the drug war. Under the scheme, Garma said, officers involved in the killing of drug suspects were rewarded with money, ranging from P20,000 to P1 million.

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

In her affidavit, Garma also stated that Duterte asked her to find a police officer who could lead the task force. Eventually, former National Police Commission Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo was assigned to coordinate drug war operations, she added.

According to Garma, there were three modes of payment or rewards — first, for every suspect killed; second for the planned operations; and third, the refund of operational expenses.

The payments, she said, were coursed through Malacañang officials, including former special assistant to to president and now Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go.

Go denied having involvement in the alleged rewards system.

READ: Bong Go denies involvement in drug war, rewards system

For Fernandez, if Malacañang officials were involved in the alleged drug war rewards system, then the intelligence funds were used.

“This came out only after Royina Garma herself said that money comes from Malacañang. So if the funds come from Malacañang, and this is a police operation, it would be using an intel fund,” he said.

“There are operations being implemented by the former administration, or even the current administration wherein if it is a police operation, or military operation, intel funds are used. So that’s why [there are] proposals to investigate the intel funds of the former president because Garma told us funds come from Malacañang.  So we need to find out where they got the money and we’re pretty sure that’s an intel fund,” he added.

Previously, Police Col. Jovie Espenido said a former mayor told him that revenues from Philippine offshore gaming operators, small town lottery, and intelligence funds were used to reward police officers who implemented the Duterte administration’s anti-drug operations.

READ: Espenido told: Pogo money used to reward anti-drug units

House Quad Committee lead presiding officer and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers also said he thinks the intelligence funds were used.

“Our impression is that the intelligence funds came from the Office of the President and the PNP (Philippine National Police). When these funds are audited, we will find out who is telling the truth or lying: Sen. Bato [Dela Rosa] and Sen. Bong Go, or Garma and Espenido,” Barbers added.