MANILA — Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla reaffirmed on Monday that there will be no special treatment for anyone found guilty in the ongoing probe into the previous administration’s bloody war on drugs.
His statement follows revelations implicating former government officials.
During a media briefing after his first command conference with the Philippine National Police (PNP) at Camp Crame, Remulla stressed that “there are no sacred cows in this investigation,” while emphasizing that all accused individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
“Anyone who is guilty, anyone who is found guilty, will be treated like any other person. There will be no special treatment or privileges.
They will face the full extent of the law, and the PNP, the DILG, and other institutions will ensure that,” Remulla declared.
These comments came after retired police colonel Royina Garma accused former President Rodrigo Duterte and his former aide, Senator Bong Go, of orchestrating a cash reward system for extrajudicial killings (EJKs) of drug suspects during Duterte’s term.
In her affidavit, Garma detailed their involvement in overseeing and coordinating a reward system for police officers who carried out these killings, replicating the “Davao Model.”
Remulla stated that he is awaiting the completion of the investigation before making any decisions.
“We will wait until all the testimonies are presented, and only then will we act accordingly.
Initial work has begun, but we will wait for Congress to conclude its hearings,” he explained.
Meanwhile, PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil announced that a committee has already been formed to investigate Garma’s claims.
“We’ve asked former chiefs for their statements, given Col. Garma’s allegations that they were aware of the operations during the drug war.
This will help guide the direction of our investigation,” Marbil said during the same briefing.