By Miriam G. Desacada
Borongan City–House Minority Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan is urging the government to provide “adequate protection and security” to key witnesses in the quad committee’s ongoing probe into the past administration’s controversial war on drugs that allegedly resulted in extrajudicial killings (EJKs) .
“The appropriate agencies should safeguard resource persons or key witnesses who have offered testimonial evidence to the quad committee and who have clearly exposed themselves and their family members to grave danger,” said Libanan, incumbent 4Ps party-list representative.
“Providing protective services to witnesses might even encourage, if not embolden, other individuals to come forward and cooperate in the investigation,” Libanan explained.
“Witnesses, such as retired police colonel Royina Garma and alleged drug trafficker Kerwin Espinosa, and their loved ones, are now extremely vulnerable to potential reprisals, given that they have offered damning sworn statements against highly influential people,” Libanan added.
Garma previously testified before the quad comm that the past administration adopted the “Davao template” in waging the war on drugs, where police officers involved in the EJKs of suspects allegedly get cash rewards.
Espinosa had also told the quad committee that he was allegedly coerced by former national police chief and now-Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to incriminate then-senator Leila de Lima in a drug trafficking scandal.
Libanan, a lawyer by profession, served as chairperson of the House committee on justice when he was representative of Eastern Samar’s lone congressional district. —Miriam G. Desacada