During the previous Quad Committee Hearings, the Committee questioned the public feud that occurred between former Cebu City Mayor Tommy Osmeña and PCol. Lt. Royina Garma in 2018-2019 when she served as the Chief of Police of Cebu City. Formal processes dictate that the mayor must approve of the police chief to be appointed to ensure that local governance operates in harmony with local law enforcement. However, Osmeña said that he vehemently opposed her appointment, but she was appointed by the former President Duterte anyway.
According to Garma, Osmeña opposed her appointment because Osmeña did not want to hand over enforcement power over Cebu City to her. However, Osmeña clarified that prior to Garma’s appointment as Police Chief of Cebu City in July 2018, he received a report from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (“PCSO”) which stated that Garma was receiving bribes of P1 million per week from illegal gambling operations/ financiers during her stint as the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (“CIDG”) Chief of Davao City.
To protect the people of Cebu City, he immediately informed former President Duterte of his objections. Osmeña met with Bong Go and the former President at Malacañang and showed them a copy of the PCSO report. He was told to give the report and discuss everything with Bong Go and that the Malacañang will study the allegations against Garma. Despite her lack of qualifications to fill the position, Garma was still appointed by Duterte.
During the interpellation conducted by the Quad Committee, it was revealed that Garma was appointed to high positions despite lacking the qualifications required for the positions. Curiously, despite coming from Cagayan, she chose to go to Davao City where former President Duterte was serving as the mayor of the town. She was appointed to multiple high positions in Davao City, and when Duterte became president, he appointed her in Cebu City under the guise of suppressing drug trade and illegal gambling which was allegedly prevalent at the time.
Garma was repeatedly asked by the Committee as to why Duterte “trusted” her as much. True enough, Sen. Bato Dela Rosa had previously said that there was one other public official who was closer to the former President’s ear than he was. No one really thought that this person was close enough to actually whisper sweet nothings to the former president’s ear.
When Garma was asked about why Osmeña disliked her, she said that his dislike of her was “personal”. However, during his interview with One News PH, Osmena said that despite his vehement objections against Garma’s appointment, he was told not to touch the “President’s woman”.
True or not, surely, Duterte and Garma were in a mutual relationship.
