PH gov't has no idea about Garma's testimony before ICC, says DOJ

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday said that its role in the International Criminal Court (ICC) case against former President Rodrigo Duterte is limited to witness protection.

During a public briefing, DOJ spokesperson Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano said that the ICC directly coordinated with retired police colonel Royina Garma for her statements and possible affidavits.

“Ang ugnayan po between the Philippine government and ICC is through the witness protection program director, only matters of protection are discussed… The substance of the affidavit and the statements po ni Colonel Garma are hindi po namin alam talaga. Ang inaalam lang po namin is yung mga arrangements po nila, and to make sure she is safe and protected in the Philippines,” he said.

(The coordination between the Philippine government and the ICC is through the witness protection program director, only matters of protection are discussed… We have no idea about the substance of the affidavit and the statements of Colonel Garma. We only asked about their arrangements; we have to make sure she is safe and protected in the Philippines.)

Garma, former general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), is facing a murder complaint over the death of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board secretary Wesley Barayuga.

During an inquiry by the House of Representatives last year, Garma said former President Rodrigo Duterte asked her to look for an officer to bring the Davao model for the drug war on a nationwide scale.

Garma went to the United States in November 2024, but was flagged by authorities due to a cancelled visa.  She filed for asylum, but was denied.

Clavano said that when Garma returned to the country last week and flew to Kuala Lumpur, the DOJ and the National Bureau of Investigation had made arrangements to escort her safely.

“Those were the steps that we took within the DOJ, and we hope that she continues to be safe despite being in another country,” he added.

Meanwhile,  Clavano said the Wesley Barayuga case was only a piece of the whole picture that ICC lawyers must show to prove the "pattern of killings" in the last administration.

He said the DOJ continues to look into the case of the alleged Barayuga killing.

“There is always that possibility [for Garma to be a state witness]. Kaya lang po, kailangan muna niyang ilatag yung information sa atin ng maganda. There has to be somebody who is more guilty than her in the case, dahil isa po yan sa mga requirements para madischarge as a state witness... Hanggang di po siya maglatag ng mga pangalan na mas guilty sa kanya, yung mga umutos sa kanya ng ganitong bagay, we cannot consider her as a state witness yet,” he shared.

(There is always that possibility [for Garma to be a state witness.] But she needs to lay out the information better first. There has to be somebody who is more guilty than her in the case, because that is one of the requirements to be discharged as a state witness. As long as she has not laid out a name of someone more guilty than her, who ordered her to do these things, we cannot consider her as a state witness yet.)

DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Garma intends to meet with ICC personnel in the country.

Remulla earlier said that he had received reports of Garma agreeing to be the ICC’s witness. —LDF, GMAA Integrated News