By ALFRED GABOT, Editor in Chief

MANILA – All indications are leading to the re-opening by police of killings during the drug war of then President Rodrigo Duterte, especially those involving high-profile personalities.

Malacanang said it supports the Philippine National Police (PNP) plan to reinvestigate deaths tied to Duterte’s bloody war on drugs, following new revelations unearthed during Congressional investigations, some of which cases involved PNP officers themselves. More than 6,000 died during the war on drugs which caught the attention of other countries and organizations like the  International Criminal Court .

“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 on the universal observance of the rule of law in the country,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a statement.

PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil earlier disclosed that a committee has been formed to look into the allegations of retired police colonel Royina Garma, who claimed that Duterte and other officials had implemented the so-called Davao model that supposedly rewarded the killing of drug suspects.

Bersamin issued the statement after the PNP chief and the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) was reported to be reviewing the cases of Tanauan City, Mayor Antonio 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.

Halili, who was known for his “shame campaign” against criminals and drug suspects in his city, was gunned down by a still unidentified assailant during flag-raising rites at the Tanauan City Hall on July 2, 2018.

The Department of Justice on Oct. 13 also announced that it would also conduct a preliminary investigation of the cases of high-profile killings during drug operations carried out under Duterte’s watch.

Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs is set to open a motu propio (on its own) investigation on Duterte’s war on drugs, panel chairperson Senator Ronald dela Rosa announced, which immediately was questioned since he led the controversial war on drugs.

 The former PNP chief said he is also planning to invite the former president, whom he trusts to attend the proceedings “because he’s more comfortable with the Senate compared to the House of Representatives.”

“I don’t think na hindi siya a-attend kung ako ang magi-imbita (that he will not attend if I will be the one inviting him),” dela Rosa said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jose Jinggoy Estrada stressed  the importance of including Duterte in the planned investigation to ensure justice and transparency.

“The testimony of the former president on the issue is crucial in uncovering the truth and ensuring that justice is served for all affected parties,” Estrada said in a statement.

During the Quad committee hearings in the House of Representatives, resource persons implicated Duterte, Sen. Christopher Lawrence Go, and Sen. dela Rosa in the alleged extra-judicial killings during the drug war.

Duterte allegedly instructed high-ranking police officers to reward those who killed drug suspects, while Go received direct updates for reimbursement of operations.

Meanwhile, dela Rosa is accused of implicating former Senator Leila de Lima in the illegal drug trade.

Sens. Dela Rosa and Go vehemently denied the accusations.

 In the quad hearings, retired police colonel and former PCSO general manager Royina Garma claimed that police officers were involved in the killing of Mayor Halili in 2018.

Garma also told the House quad committee hearing that Duterte ordered a nationwide operation that is similar to the so-called Davao City model, a system rewarding cops for every drug suspect killed.

The cash reward ranged from P20,000 to P1 million, based on Garma’s testimony.

Garma said a task force under the leadership of retired Col. Edilberto Leonardo, her classmate at the Philippine National Police Academy, at the CIDG-11 played a pivotal role in the reward-based drug war of the Duterte administration

he Philippine National Police (PNP) said it would also look into the possible links between those behind the murder of Barayuga and Halili.

PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo admitted that while these issues hounding police personnel are saddening, there would be no stone unturned in finding out the truth behind these allegations.

“We will not look at the institution where the alleged personnel came from, although we admit that it really affects the institution. Still, the institution remains strong, this is a challenging time for us but the PNP leadership is confident that we would be able to surpass this,” she said