By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
If you tuned in to last week’s congressional hearing that grilled former Cebu police chief, Royina Garma, it would be easy to sympathize with this Duterte ally as she shed tears over her parental struggles.
But wait. Before falling into her narrative of motherly woes over her child who has mental health issues, let’s not lose sight of the facts of why she’s in the hot seat.
Garma is accused of far worse than your typical scalawag cop. Confessed hitman Arturo Lascañas has pinpointed her as a key player in handling the notorious Davao Death Squad, carrying out orders for extrajudicial killings (EJKs).
A witness in one of these cases, Raquel Lopez — the mother of Rabby Lopez, who was killed during a police operation in Cebu City in 2018 while Garma was police chief — recounts Garma’s chilling conduct at her son’s wake.
According to Lopez, Garma and her officers arrived in a fury. Enraged that the family was mourning their child, Garma scorned them, saying, “Why are you holding a wake for your son? Why is there only one dead? There are many of them here.” This is the same woman now pleading for sympathy over her personal troubles?
These aren’t baseless accusations — they’re part of a horrifying history of state-sponsored executions that tore families apart. So, while Garma’s emotional plea might tug at heartstrings, let’s put it into a more realistic perspective.
Garma’s tears do not absolve her and they don’t wash away the blood on her hands.
Justice in sight
Finally, Batangas beauty queen Catherine Camilon is starting to get the justice she deserves.
Former police major Allan de Castro and his driver, Jeffrey Magpantay, have been arrested for their alleged role in her disappearance.
After nearly a year of delays and dismissed complaints, crucial evidence — blood and hair matching Camilon’s DNA — has put these suspects back in the court’s line of sight.
Remember that De Castro already lied during the investigation about his relationship with Camilon. These were heard in the halls of the Senate – and even then, he had a “humanitarian” pass courtesy of fellow former cop, Sen. Bato dela Rosa.
With De Castro now arrested, let’s have the wheels of justice turning without favor or impunity. The mystery behind Camilon’s disappearance must be laid out with full clarity and those responsible must face the full force of the law.
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