Former President Rodrigo Duterte has been implicated in the alleged extrajudicial killing of three Chinese drug lords inside the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in 2016.
This development emerged after two witnesses testified today during the second hearing of the Quad Committee in the House of Representatives. The committee session focused on issues related to extrajudicial killings, the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, and criminal activities involving Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
Fernando Magdadaro and Leopoldo Tan appeared before the committee to recount the events that transpired within the maximum security compound, particularly in the isolation cell where the three Chinese nationals—Chu Kin Tung, Li Lan Yan, and Wong Mien Pin—were allegedly killed.
In their sworn statements, Magdadaro and Tan revealed that they were offered money and the promise of freedom in exchange for carrying out the murders, which they claimed had the approval of high-ranking officials.
Tan further stated that while they were on their way to the Investigation Section, one of the highest-ranking officials in the Davao Prison, Superintendent Gerardo Padilla, reportedly had a phone conversation with someone. Tan claimed that the voice on the other end sounded familiar, resembling that of former President Duterte. His suspicion was reinforced when Padilla allegedly confirmed to his colleagues that it was the President himself who called to congratulate them on the successful operation.
Magdadaro and Tan asserted that they were not coerced or influenced to come forward, though they admitted their disappointment that the promised release from prison was never fulfilled.
The two also confessed that they were approached by law enforcement officers connected to the Duterte administration to carry out the killings.
In addition to former President Duterte, the name of Lt. Col. Garma also surfaced during the hearing.