Panelo on Garma’s drug war exposé: ‘Pure imagination’

FILE PHOTO: Presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo

MANILA, Philippines — Retired police colonel Royina Garma’s exposé on the alleged Davao model of payment and rewards for the Duterte administration’s drug war “is pure imagination or fertile speculation,” according to former presidential spokesperson and legal counsel Salvador Panelo.

Panelo, former spokesperson of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, also questioned Garma’s knowledge of the operations.

“The alleged meeting between him and FPRRD (former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) was in May 2016. FPRRD  assumed office as President only in July 2016. The so-called Davao model of payment and rewards is pure imagination or fertile speculation,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday.

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

“Garma does not claim that she was a part of or an operator or executioner of the Davao model, so how could she have known of its operation, assuming it did exist?” he added.

“Garma claims she declined being part of the alleged intended replication of the Davao model, if that is so, she could not have any knowledge of the Davao model plan — assuming there was one — if it was pursued or operated,” he also pointed out.

‘May have succumbed to threat, intimidation’

Panelo also claimed Garma’s information only came from “hearsay” and “conveyed or relayed to her by sources.” She might have “succumbed to threat or intimidation under pain of incarceration if she did not make the allegations contained in her affidavit.”

“One cannot launch a successful war on drugs without an effective legal strategy to neutralize the drug cartel and organized crime, which necessarily will involve funding from the government. Police operations must be sufficiently financed for effective enforcement of the laws against illegal drug trafficking,” he added.

Panelo also belied Garma’s statement that Duterte allegedly gave reward money in exchange for killing a drug lord, a dealer, a pusher, or a drug addict.

“When FPRRD declared war on drugs and made a statement that he would kill those involved in illegal drugs, he was making a commitment that he would pursue them to the ends of the earth to prosecute and put them behind bars, which he did during his incumbency — resulting [in] its almost total destruction that brought security and peace of mind to the citizenry,” he added.

Duterte’s vow

Duterte vowed to eradicate illegal drugs, run after criminals, remove corrupt government officials from office, and provide comfortable lives to Filipinos during his presidential campaign in 2016.

“This vow or commitment to the voting population was factored in their choice of him as their candidate they would vote for President,” Panelo said. “As President, FPRRD did not renege from his sacred pact with the people and he executed his pledge to the fullest constitutionally permissible.”

“The political enemies and detractors of FPRRD will not stop at throwing the kitchen sink at him by using coercion and money to compel persons to testify falsely against him,” he added.