By Paula Valero
Malacañang expressed support for the Philippine National Police's (PNP) plan to reinvestigate the killings during the drug war that former president Rodrigo Duterte implemented during his administration on Wednesday.
"The reopening of the investigations of the high killings related to the war on drugs should indicate that the Marcos administration places the highest importance on the fair dispensation of justice and the universal observance of the rule of law in the country," Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said.
The PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) is studying the cases of Tanauan City, Mayor Antonio Halili, known for shaming criminals and drug suspects after retired police colonel Royina Garma revealed that police officers were involved in the killing of the mayor in 2018.
On Tuesday, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo assured that the CIDG would also look into the cases of other well-known personalities killed during Duterte's drug war. The Department of Justice announced that they would do a preliminary investigation on some high-profile killings.
Some of these include the killings of Halili; Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board secretary and retired police general Wesley Barayuga in 2020; Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa in 2016; and convicted drug lords Chu Kin Tung, Li Lan Yan and Wong Meng Pin inside the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in 2016.
According to Garma, Duterte ordered an operation similar to the Davao City model that rewarded police officers for each suspect killed. She also testified that the range of the incentives was P20,000 to P1 million.
Garma revealed that a team under retired Col. Edilberto Leonardo at the CIDG-11 played a vital role in the reward system of the drug war.
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