Royina Garma, a retired police colonel and former general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), was detained in the United States and is facing deportation, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Garma and her daughter, Angelica Vilela, were arrested by US immigration authorities in San Francisco on November 7. Garma had departed from Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Terminal 3, on that same day. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla stated that Garma's visa was canceled due to "human rights issues," and she was notified by US authorities about this while she was en route.
The DOJ is working with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and their partners in the US to expedite Garma's return to the Philippines. Despite her recent trip, there is no hold departure order against her as no case has been filed against her yet. The DOJ is reportedly in the process of building a case related to her possible involvement in extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration, and they plan to offer Garma protection as a key witness in ongoing investigations.
The Interpol relayed information to Philippine authorities regarding Garma's arrest. The DOJ and BI are coordinating to ensure that upon her return, Garma remains available for congressional hearings. She has already testified before the quad committee of Congress investigating extrajudicial killings, where she revealed details of the "Davao model" used in Duterte's anti-drug campaign, including a reward system for "death squad" operations targeting suspected criminals.
Due to her cooperation with the quad committee, the contempt order against Garma was lifted, and no lookout bulletin was issued because of her willingness to testify. According to Sta. Rosa Representative Dan Fernandez, co-chair of the committee, they did not impose any travel restrictions on her as she remained in contact through her lawyers and promised to attend when needed. Garma's testimony shed light on Duterte's methods, including the death squads and incentives for operations.
According to Fernandez, Garma may have been arrested by US authorities due to her involvement in extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration, which could be related to the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation. The committee allowed her release after her crucial testimony, but her recent travel was beyond the committee's control, as they only serve as a legislative investigation and have no authority to enforce travel restrictions.
