GARMA
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police Colonel Royina Garma, director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), has been summoned by President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, May 6, 2019 to meet him in Camp Crame.
Garma said it was President Duterte himself who called her and directed her to report to him personally.
In a conference call with reporters, Garma said she does not know the agenda of their meeting.
The President also did not tell her if they will discuss issues pertaining to the city police force’s conflict with Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
“I don’t know kung anong agenda kasi hindi naman ako pinatawag dahil... I’m sure hindi yan (pertaining to Osmeña). It’s a separate issue,” Garma said.
(I don’t know what is going to be the agenda of our meeting because I was not called to… I am sure it does not (pertan to Osmena). It’s a separate issue.)
News of the President’s invitation to Garma came a few hours after Senator Panfilo Lacson called on the Commission on Elections to “step in” on the alleged political involvement of police officers in Cebu City.
INQUIRER.NET quoted Lacson, who wrote on Twitter, that “Cebu City is a case of the PNP (Philippine National Police) dipping their fingers into partisan local politics.”
READ: Lacson to Comelec: Look into cops meddling in politics in Cebu
The President’s invitation also came on the heels of a heated word war between Garma and Osmeña
On Sunday, May 5, reporters obtain copies of a complaint letter filed by Conrado Romano before the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas, which pinpointed Osmeña as one of the men in a photograph playing poker inside an illegal gambling joint.
Osmena neither confirmed nor denied that he is one of the men in the photo but said that he is used to his enemies concocting stories about him.
READ: Tomas on illegal gambling issue: “I’m used to negative stories about me”
On the same day, May 5, during the miting de avance of his political party, Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) at the Cebu City Sports Center, Osmeña dropped a bombshell: that Garma was identified as protector of an illegal gambling operator.
READ: Osmeña: Documents say Cebu City police director is illegal gambling protector
Garma said it is not her personality to just “tittle-tattle” or reveal details just because she wants to.
But Garma said she is ready to tell the President what she knows.
“Hindi ko style. (It’s not my style) When asked, I answer. If not, I don’t voluntarily give information, yung nakakasira sa isang tao (that will destroy the person). I don’t do it unless asked,” she said.
During the conference call with reporters, Garma revealed that she was already on her way to Camp Crame. / celr