Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has denied accusations made by retired police colonel Royina Garma that he facilitated payments for killings during the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. Garma, in a recent affidavit, claimed that Go coordinated the reward system for every suspect killed during the operations, linking him to a so-called “Davao model” implemented nationwide.
Go dismissed these claims, calling them “malicious and unsubstantiated.” He emphasized that his role as a special assistant to then-President Rodrigo Duterte was limited to “scheduling, appointments, and presidential engagements,” and did not involve operational decisions related to the drug war.
“I have no participation whatsoever, directly or indirectly, in the operational requirements of the war on drugs,” Go said on Saturday, October 12. He added that former President Duterte “never sanctioned nor tolerated any form of senseless killings.”
Garma also implicated National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo and accused him of collaborating with Go on the reward system. She claimed that Leonardo reported every drug suspect killed to Go for inclusion in weekly reports and requests for refunds of operational expenses.
Go, however, labeled these accusations as “diversionary tactics” aimed at deflecting attention from the investigation into Garma’s alleged involvement in a 2020 murder plot. He urged the Senate to conduct an impartial investigation into the matter.
“Malicious and unsubstantiated statements should have no place in any credible investigation,” Go asserted, reiterating that the Duterte administration respected the rule of law throughout its campaign against illegal drugs.
