Drug war whistleblower nabbed in US

(UPDATE) RETIRED police colonel Royina Garma, the whistleblower of the House quad committee who accused former president Rodrigo Duterte of setting up a system to reward police officers who killed suspects in his war on drugs, has been detained in San Francisco, California, and will be sent back to the Philippines. In a press conference in Malacañang, Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Garma and her daughter were flagged as their visas were canceled. "As far as we know, and we verified that she had no departure order; she had a visa. But apparently, in the course of the hearings at the Senate, her visa was canceled. So she tried her luck and went to America," Remulla told Palace reporters. "The US Immigration, US INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) flagged her. They are now detained and are in the process of being sent home," he added. Remulla said Garma and her daughter were expected to be flown to the country on Wednesday. "The Bureau of Immigration has coordinated with the INS. Once here, she will be sent to the Senate because she's a Senate witness," the DILG chief said. "She's actually not been charged with any crime. She's a state witness," he said. Remulla said he directed Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado to expedite Garma's return. Garma, who played a significant role in the controversial law enforcement operations under the Duterte administration, is facing increasing scrutiny amid ongoing investigations into human rights violations during the previous administration's war on drugs. In a statement issued Tuesday, Remulla expressed his commitment to ensuring Garma's return to the Philippines, underscoring the government's resolve to hold her accountable for her alleged involvement in unlawful police activities. He also stressed the importance of Garma's continued cooperation with ongoing investigations. "We are committed to seeing justice served in every case and upholding the integrity of our justice system," Remulla said. "While we work to ensure the safe return of Ms. Garma, we trust that she will remain cooperative with all ongoing investigations." Garma, a retired police officer from Davao City, had close ties to Duterte and became a central figure in congressional hearings investigating human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings related to the drug war. The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) confirmed Garma's arrest, along with her daughter, Angelica Garma Vilela, in the US. While Garma's lawyer, Emerito Quilang, has confirmed their detention, he said he had difficulty contacting his clients, as Garma's mobile phone was reportedly confiscated by authorities. Quilang also revealed that Garma has been in the US since Nov. 7. Garma had initially refused to speak during congressional hearings but later provided affidavits that confirmed the existence of a reward system for police officers who killed drug suspects. She also detailed the role of the so-called Davao Death Squad, which allegedly carried out extrajudicial killings under Duterte's orders in Davao City before he became president.