MANILA, Philippines – Royina Garma, the retired cop turned whistleblower in a House of Representatives probe into former president Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs,” is still under the custody of American border officials, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement on Wednesday, November 13. 

“The Department, through the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, is continuously coordinating with U.S. authorities regarding the reported arrest and detention of Ms. Royina Garma and [her daughter] who are currently under the custody of the United States Customs and Border Protection (US-CBP) in San Francisco, California,” said DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza in a statement. 

Garma was placed under the custody of the US-CBP on November 7, her lawyer had earlier told Rappler. 

“The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco stands ready to extend appropriate assistance to Filipino nationals within its consular jurisdiction, in accordance with existing rules and regulations,” added Daza. 

Garma was a colonel when she retired from the Philippine National Police (PNP), then was appointed general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. 

It was Garma who, in a House hearing, accused former president Duterte of implementing a reward system for drug war kills. 

It remained unclear why Garma tried to the enter the US, even after she confirmed in a House hearing that a previous attempt to travel there was thwarted because her visa had apparently been cancelled. The cancellation was likely due to US sanctions on human rights violators, although officials in the US and in its embassy in Manila have declined to confirm or deny this. 

Quad committee co-chairperson Santa Rosa Representative Dan Fernandez earlier confirmed that they’d “heard” that Garma left the Philippines. Another chairperson, Surigao del Norte 2nd District Ace Barbers, said they did not know about her travel plans. The “quad committee” refers to four House committees that have combined efforts to probe a range of issues and policies of the previous Duterte administration — from the drug war to the influx of illegal gambling operations with ties to China. 

The Philippine Justice Department earlier said that Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado was working on Garma’s return to the Philippines. – Rappler.com