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Ex-Cebu Mayor Osmeña warned ‘Don’t touch Duterte’s women’
By Nidz Godino
“When she was going to be appointed to Cebu City as chief of police, of course I have natural interest…somebody gave me report from PCSO ,Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office official stated when retired Police Col. Royina Garma was CIDG ,Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief in Bohol, she was suspected of collecting P1 million a week from illegal gambling,” former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña recalled immediately after complaining about appointment of then police colonel Royina Garma as Cebu City police chief, he received terse warning: “Don’t touch president’s women.”
According to the former mayor, he received warning after he personally complained to then president Rodrigo Duterte at Malacañang in 2018 about Garma’s appointment.
Osmeña did not say how he received warning.
He bared warning he received from source, whose identity he declined to reveal, during which he also indicated that Garma was so influential in previous administration that Duterte was practically “eating out of her hand.”
“That’s why I didn’t want to accept her, because of course, I just want to protect people of Cebu,” he said.
Despite mayor’s opposition, Garma still assumed post, prompting Osmeña to reach out to Duterte.
“President Duterte told me, ‘why don’t you just tell Bong Go … everything, and we’ll look into it… I prepared documentation for Bong Go and of course nothing happened,” said former mayor.
“And then somebody told me, ‘don’t touch the president’s women.’ I said, ‘what?’” he stressed.
Go, now a senator, was then special assistant to the president.
Osmeña declined to identify person who gave him warning. But he said it was same person who tipped him off that Garma would be appointed as general manager of PCSO.
In June 2019, Garma who then still had 10 years left before her retirement from service opted for early retirement. Duterte gave her plum post at PCSO few days later.
Month earlier, Osmeña lost his reelection bid to then vice mayor Edgardo Labella, who ran under Duterte’s political party, PDP-Laban.
Osmeña, who locked horns with Garma during her stint as Cebu City police chief, described her as “worse than Napoles,” referring to Janet Lim Napoles serving sentence for illegally amassing billions from government contracts.
“She’s dangerous, don’t let her tears deceive you,” he said of Garma. “Many of my people have been hurt, tortured and killed..not only my people, but Cebuanos at large.”
Without elaborating, Osmeña said he is ready to answer more questions in the next quad committee hearing at House of Representatives.
He also vowed to submit additional documents to quad committee, comprising four committees investigating various policies of Duterte administration, including deadly war on drugs and proliferation of Philippine offshore gaming operators.
During her appearance at committee hearing on Sept. 12, Garma was reduced to tears while being grilled regarding her relationship with Duterte. She was ordered detained supposedly for “evading” questions.
She did not attend hearing last Sept. 19 as she was reportedly suffering from neck and ear pain. Osmeña testified at the hearing and bared details of “payola” allegations against Garma.
Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, said it is investigating reports Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy gifted Duterte and other officials with women from his congregation.
Fajardo said they are looking into revelation of former KOJC worker Arlene Stone that Quiboloy offered women who were members of his “pastoral” or inner circle to people close to him, including Duterte.
Stone is now spokesperson for former KOJC members residing in United States.
Asked if Duterte and other officials who received women as gifts from Quiboloy could be held liable, Fajardo said investigators should coordinate first with alleged victims and secure from them sworn statements for purposes of filing more criminal cases against Quiboloy and other personalities.
Fajardo said allegation, if proven true, is serious as this would fall under qualified human trafficking which is non-bailable offense.
“We are now in process of documenting all these allegations and revelations and we’re ready to file cases against anyone who may have violated law, regardless of whoever he is,” Fajardo said at briefing in Camp Crame.
Asked if there is already move to reach out to Duterte, Fajardo has no information from their people on the ground.
“All our efforts right now will depend on information coming from victims,” she said.
Quiboloy, self-styled preacher who calls himself “appointed son of God,” is detained at Camp Crame custodial center on charges of qualified human trafficking and child abuse filed before Pasig City and Quezon City courts.
Office of Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chair of the Senate committee on women, children and family affairs, is preparing public hearings on alleged sexual abuse cases against Quiboloy. Date of hearing has yet to be determined.
Hontiveros earlier told Quiboloy that he could not outrun law after he was taken into police custody on Sept. 8.
“You will be held responsible, Apollo Quiboloy…you cannot outrun the law…you will not further delay justice,” Hontiveros said, addressing Quiboloy after his arrest at KOJC compound in Davao City.
“Justice is within reach of the victim-survivors, thanks to their courage to tell the truth,” she added.
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