An emotional Royina Garma requested a chance to address family members of drug war victims before they were excused from the House quad-committee hearing on Friday (October 11), offering them an apology for the “mistakes” that led to deaths under her watch as police director of Cebu City.
The retired police colonel tearfully apologized to Baby Rosales and Raquel Lopez, whose respective sons Angelito and Rabby were killed by Garma’s policemen in 2018, after they each gave their testimony at the joint panel’s probe into the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
“I am very sorry in behalf of my men na nagkamali sa inyo. I am very sorry. But I cannot control all of them,” Garma said.
“Inaamin ko, may nagkakamali… I am sorry to all victims kung hindi ko naimbestigahan isa-isa ‘yung case niyo,” she added.
Garma followed her apology with her own testimony implicating former President Rodrigo Duterte and then-presidential aide and now-senator Bong Go in a cash reward system for the extrajudicial killings of drug suspects during his term.
She confirmed the assembly of a national task force patterned after the “Davao model,” which provided police with financial rewards for killing drug suspects, funding for planned operations, and reimbursement for operational expenses.
“I realized the truth will always set us free, and at least I will be able to contribute if we really want to make this country a better place to live [in] for our children,” Garma said.
00:00 Baby Rosales says still seeking justice for son Angelito (Highlight)
00:30 Royina Garma says sorry to Rosales and Raquel Lopez (Highlight)
00:51 Rosales, through an interpreter, recalls night of Angelito’s death
07:22 Rosales explains looking directly at Garma while giving her testimony
08:20 Arlene Brosas interpellates Garma about drug-related deaths in Cebu City
13:04 House quad-committee shows old interview footage of Garma confirming “collateral damage” in Cebu drug war
15:54 Ace Barbers excuses Rosales and Lopez from the hearing after finishing their participation
16:18 Garma asks for a chance to make a statement “before they go”
17:58 Garma: “I am very sorry in behalf of my men na nagkamali sa inyo”
18:43 Garma: “I am sorry to all victims kung hindi naimbestigahan lahat ng case niyo”
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