Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is widely known for his close and controversial ties with former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Senator Bato, who is also from Davao, was the first Chief of the Philippine National Police under the Duterte Administration. After his retirement from the police service, he was appointed as the Director General of the Bureau of Corrections, before joining the senatorial race in the 2019 national elections and placing 5th in the polls. His immediate rise to the Senate was obviously a direct result of his unwavering allegiance to former President Rodrigo Duterte, and he continues to serve as a Duterte family’s loyalist.
Under Senator Bato’s watch as the chief PNP then, the “war on drugs” was marred by extrajudicial killings and a rewards and quota system to incentivize the police officers. It has been revealed that Duterte’s orders were executed by Senator Bato and his longtime assistant, Senator Bong Go, provided the funding.
In June 2019, President Duterte appointed Police Colonel Royina Garma as the General Manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), despite her lack of relevant experience. Before the PCSO appointment, Garma served as a police officer in Davao City, where she had close ties with Duterte and was often the sole policewoman in the war room.
In 2018, Duterte made her Cebu City’s first female police chief and many have been wondering how she rose quickly to the top and became the apple of the eye of Duterte.
Garma’s tenure in Cebu City was marked by tension with Cebu City’s former Mayor Tommy Osmeña, a Duterte critic, who attributed to her the rise in killings in the city.
In 2019, former Mayor Osmeña publicly revealed that Garma’s bagman was collecting P1 million a week. This bagman, known only as “SPO4 Art,” is believed to be SPO4 Arthur Narsolis. Within police circles, Narsolis and Garma’s relationship is known to be “more than just professional.”
Today, Garma and Narsolis are both under scrutiny for their involvement in the deaths of three Chinese drug lords — Cho-kin Tong, Jackson Lee and Peter Wang — inside a prison cell at Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) in July 2016. Recent testimonies in Quad Committee hearings have connected Garma and Narsolis to these killings. Garma and Narsolis have yet to appear in the Quad Committee hearings.
These names are just the beginning. It is well known that Duterte used the Philippine National Police (PNP) as his personal hit squad.
As Duterte’s influence starts to die down, more and more of these dirty cops will undoubtedly come forward to testify against him, even if only to save their own asses. And as the Quad Committee hearings continue, the full extent of the corruption and the identities of those who masterminded these operations will be revealed. It is only a matter of time until we see those responsible behind bars.
