By JOSEPH ANTHONY A. DAMGO
SURIGAO del Sur 2nd District Rep. Johnny Pimentel on Thursday accused retired Police Col. Royina Garma of being the “director” behind the killings of three suspected Chinese drug lords inside the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) in 2016.
“Si Col. Garma ang nagsilbing ‘director’ ng pagpatay sa tatlong Chinese drug lords noong 2016,” Pimentel said during his interpellation of Garma at Thursday’s hearing of the House Quad Committee, which is investigating the extrajudicial killings linked to the brutal war on drugs under the administration of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
At least four witnesses have identified Garma as the one directly giving instructions or coordinating the operation to eliminate Chinese nationals Chu Kin Tung, also known as Tony Lim; Li Lan Yan, alias Jackson Li; and Wong Meng Pin, alias Wang Ming Ping.
The witnesses include self-confessed hitmen Leopoldo “Tata” Tan Jr. and Fernando “Andy” Magdadaro, who carried out the killings; former DPPF warden Supt. Gerardo Padilla; and former policeman Jimmy Fortaleza, Garma’s classmate at the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA).
Tan, Magdadaro and Padilla testified that former President Duterte ultimately ordered the killings of the suspected Chinese drug lords as part of his anti-drug campaign.
Appearing before the Quad Committee for the first time, Garma denied the allegations linking her to the killings of the Chinese nationals.
She also denied any perceived “closeness” with former President Duterte, who appointed her as general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) after her resignation from the police force in 2018.
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President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday vowed to complete agrarian reform by 2028.
“Kaya naman po, sa ilalim din ng administrasyon na ito na si Sec. Conrad (Estrella III) ang puno ng DAR, ating sinisikap na makumpleto ang repormang pang-agraryo sa taong 2028 upang mapakinabangan na ng lahat ng mga benepisyaryo ang lupang sakahan,” the President said in his speech at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) gymnasium in Quezon City.
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During the event, the Chief Executive led the distribution of 343 Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) to 287 ARBs in Nasugbu, Batangas.
The awarding of CLOAs is part of the accelerated land title distribution program of the DAR to complete the agrarian land distribution program by 2028, pursuant to the directive of President Marcos.
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From July 2022 to July 2024, the agrarian reform agency distributed 136,116 land titles to 138,718 ARBs nationwide, covering 164,088 hectares of land.
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In the same event, the President declared that more than 100,000 land titles will be distributed before the end of the year. PND READ MORE
“Fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake news ‘yan.”
“Kaya huwag po natin – kailangan maingat po tayo. Huwag tayo masyadong naniniwala kung wala naming pruweba sa kanilang mga sinasabi,” he added.
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President Marcos also laughed off the reports as he recalled his
conversation with Teodoro earlier Thursday regarding the supposed resignation.
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The President also called on the public not to believe in fake news. He emphasized that the administration is working double time to uplift the lives of the Filipino people.
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“Huwag po kayong madala sa ganyan. Patuloy po ang aming trabaho. Hindi po
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This is how President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. described news reports on Thursday regarding the supposed resignation of Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.
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President Marcos said the news about Secretary Teodoro’s alleged resignation was a desperate move to sow confusion in the government.
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“Wala naman silang naibibigay, wala silang naitutulong, wala silang kontribusyon sa buhay ng bawat Pilipino kung hindi paninira lamang, kundi panggugulo lamang,” President Marcos said.
Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy has a private army dubbed "Angels of Death" who allegedly goes after those who reveal acts of his sexual abuse of members' children, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Thursday.
In a press briefing at Camp Crame, Quezon City, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the police are now looking into reports of the existence of the group which is part of the alleged "systematic abuse" within the religious sect.
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"Natatakot yung mga nakausap natin not only for themselves, hindi lang para sa kanilang buhay, maging sa pamilya nila because ang panakot nga is yung Angels of Death. So gusto ko kuhanin itong pagkakataon na ito para panawagan sa ilang pang mga naging biktima ni Pastor Quiboloy na sinasabing minolestiya sila lalo na yung mga bata na nakaranas ng ilang tao na pangmomolestiya handa
kayo proteksyunan ng gobyerno at huwag kayo matakot (Those whom we talked to fear not only for themselves, their own lives but also for their family because of the Angels of Death. So I want to take this opportunity to call on other victims of Pastor Quiboloy, those who claim they have been molested, especially the children, to come forward. The government is ready to protect you. You don't have to fear anything)," she added.
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Without giving further details, Fajardo said she was horrified over the revelations of some victims.
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"Nung marinig ko yun sa isang bata na sasabihin na tatakutin kapag sinabi
nanatiling intact yung kanilang pagkakababae dahil ang sabi nakipagtalik sa kanila ay espiritu ng diyos, (When I heard from a child that they are being threatened and they were told that their womanhood is intact because it was the spirit of a god who had sex with them), I don’t know how can you describe the ordeal na pinagdaanan ng mga batang ito (that these children went through), again these are all allegations," Fajaro added.
The PNP official said the parents of these children would also be held liable once it would be proven that they lured them into being victims of the abuse by the evangelist.
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She added that the children were allegedly told by the group that such acts were their "passes to heaven".
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THE House of Representatives committee on appropriations has voted unanimously to reduce by more than half the budget of the Office of the Vice President Sara Duterte for next year due largely to redundant social programs and overextended offices.
House panel cuts OVP budget
by P1.3B; Quimbo assures jobs,
social programs to stay
Marikina City Rep. Stella Quimbo, senior committee vice chairperson, told a news conference today that the panel decided to recommend a reduction of about P1.3 billion, from the proposed P2.037 billion to P733 million.
She said the cuts came from allocations for financial assistance, professional services, which is the budget language for
However, she said the appropriation for “personal services,” meaning salaries, was retained.
“We are not touching that, we are preserving jobs in the OVP,” she said.
She added that the entire financial assistance (FA) fund of the OVP of P947 million would be READ MORE >>
Lawmakers on Wednesday described as baseless the allegation that the leadership of the House of Representatives is attempting to manipulate the allocation of the national budget.
The victims, Chu Kin Tung (aka Tony Lim), Li Lan Yan (aka Jackson Li), and Wong Meng Pin (aka Wang Ming Ping), were serving sentences for drug-related offenses, including operating a drug lab in Parañaque City.
In sworn statements, Tan and Magdadaro detailed how they were approached by law enforcement officers linked to the Duterte administration and instructed to carry out the murders.
Tan specifically named Narsolis, who allegedly visited him in July 2016 with a proposition to kill the Chinese inmates, claiming approval from higher-ups and offering a reward of P1 million per target.
Narsolis reportedly referred to the reward as "isang manok kada ulo" (one chicken per head).
Narsolis was cited in contempt for repeatedly ignoring subpoenas from the panel investigating extrajudicial killings tied to Duterte’s brutal war on drugs.
The joint committee, chaired by Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, ordered his detention until the investigation concludes or the contempt citation is lifted.
The contempt motion was initiated by Surigao del Sur 2nd District Rep. Johnny Pimentel, invoking Section 11(a) of the House Rules of Procedure Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation.
The case centers on the confessions of inmates Leopoldo Tan Jr. and Fernando Magdadaro, who admitted to killing the Chinese nationals under alleged direct orders from Duterte. At the time, the former president had just launched his controversial anti-drug campaign.
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THE House Quad Committee on Thursday once again cited former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in contempt and ordered his detention, this time for failing to submit documents subpoenaed by the joint panel investigating his potential links to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
The joint committee, chaired by Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, ordered that Roque be detained at a facility inside the House of Representatives until he submits the required documents or until the investigation is concluded.
Bukidnon 2nd District Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores moved to cite Roque in contempt and order his detention, invoking Section 11(d) of the House Rules of Procedure Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation, which addresses refusal to comply with a subpoena and failure to submit required documents.
The committee unanimously approved the motion. READ MORE