Solons to seek call records of ex-cop, Garma over 2016 Davao jail slays

Royina Garma —FILE PHOTO/MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines — As part of its ongoing probe into the previous administration’s bloody drug war, specifically the killing of three Chinese in the Davao Penal and Prison Farm (DPPF) in 2016, the House quad committee will request call and text records between former Police Colonel Royina Garma and former policeman Jimmy Fortaleza from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

During the panels’ fifth hearing, Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong made the motion after learning about the alleged calls between Garma and Fortaleza.

“I’d like to make a request, I was listening to the line of questioning and the exchanges between (Davao Oriental) Rep. Cheeno Almario when he was asking about the affidavit of Mr. Fortaleza,” Adiong said.

“Mr. Jimmy Fortaleza, tama ‘yung pagkarinig ko that GM (ex-Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office General Manager) Garma called you and told you in exact words na tulungan sila dahil may ipapagawa sila sa’yo?” he asked.

(Fortaleza, did I hear correctly that GM Garma called you and asked for your help to do something?)

To which, Fortaleza replied: “Walang ganyan (There’s no such thing).”

READ: Cop linked to killing of 3 Chinese drug suspects cited for contempt

According to the former policeman’s affidavit, Garma called him on August 8, 2016, and told him about her coordination with Corrections Senior Supt. Gerardo Padilla of “having someone” inside the prison.

Days later on August 11, 2016, Fortaleza said Garma called again, asking him to bring food to inmates caught with drugs inside the maximum compound, namely quad-committee witnesses Leopoldo Tan and Fernando Magdadaro, who is known as a “hitman” in Davao.

Although Garma earlier denied making these calls, Adiong suggested requesting the records from NTC to validate the information.

“I know this happened a couple of years ago, but there’s, in fact, a way for us to really confirm and determine whether these calls were made, just to prove that one of them is telling them because if we rely on their testimony it’s her word against his,” the lawmaker said.

“So may we request if possible, I don’t know how they can retrieve this, but there’s a way to retrieve those calls because I believe the NTC or the telecom can help us to secure or confirm whether these calls were ever made by the time Mr. Fortaleza told this committee that it happened sometime during 2016 when these three Chinese nationals were killed inside the DPPF,” he added.

Quad panel chair and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Robert Ace Barbers then directed the committee secretary to coordinate with the NTC and telco in gathering the records of the phone calls made during the dates mentioned in Fortelaza’s affidavit.

Based on the results of the previous hearing, the three Chinese identified as Chu Kin Tung, Jackson Lee, and Peter Wang were reportedly killed on the orders of Senior Police Officer (SPO) 4 Arthur Narsolis, according to Tan and Magdadaro.

During the September 4 hearing, Padilla also admitted to receiving orders about not interfering with an “operation,” which reportedly came from Garma.

Copies of Padilla’s affidavit also showed that Garma purportedly threatened to harm his family if he would not cooperate in the killing of the three Chinese serving prison time at the Davao Penal Farm for drug-related cases.

In Thursday’s hearing, Garma admitted that she had a relationship with Narsolis in 2016.