Keep religion off drug war issues, says solon

Former Napolcom Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo

MANILA, Philippines — The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) should not be dragged into former police colonel and resigned National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo’s activities regarding the past administration’s drug war, Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez said.

Fernandez, in a press briefing on Thursday, explained that INC has nothing to do with Leonardo’s decision-making, noting that the steps taken by the former police official was his own initiative.

INC found itself in the middle of talks after former police colonel Royina Garma admitted that then-president Rodrigo Duterte asked her in May 2016 to recruit a police operative who can lead the drug war on a nationwide scale, with the rewards system considered. 

Duterte, according to Garma, wanted an INC member to head the task force because they are good with handling money

This criteria from Duterte, Garma said, led her to her upperclassman in the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), Leonardo, who is also a former member of the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

“The members of the House of Representatives should refrain from involving the INC in the issue of what is being tackled in the quad comm precisely because there is a separation of church and the state, and at the same time, the decision made by Leonardo is in his own volition,” Fernandez said.

“Because we have received news that of course, some INC members are hurt that they are being dragged into these discussions.  Iglesia ni Cristo is not involved in this issue, as the church was only mentioned when it was mentioned that an INC member should head the task force because he knows how to handle money properly,” added Fernandez in Filipino.

Fernandez appealed to his fellow members to avoid mentioning INC in future hearings so as not to offend church members.

“It just so happened that the faith of Leonardo, is with INC.  But that is very different from his duties as a police official.  That’s why my request to our members is to be cautious in mentioning the religion of Leonardo,” added Fernandez. 

The INC was first mentioned in the hearings when Garma revealed last October 11 that Duterte told her that he prefers having an INC member as head of the task force on anti-illegal drug operations, that will implement the Davao template.

The Davao template refers to a reward system where police officers who kill drug suspects in operations are given a monetary reward ranging from P20,000 to as high as P1 million.