Then Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald Dela Rosa. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File photo 

MANILA (UPDATED) — Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police in the early years of the Duterte administration's so-called war on drugs, said he knows nothing about a reward system for cops involved in anti-narcotics operations that a former police official said was adapted from the "Davao Model".

Former police colonel Royina Garma — also a former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager — told members of the House of Representatives on Friday that former President Rodrigo Duterte called her in May 2016 to ask her to recommend a police officer who would implement the model used in Davao City, which allegedly involved a tiered reward system for drug personalities eliminated, on a national scale.

Duterte officially took office on June 30, 2016, but was proclaimed president-elect on May 30 and had been projected to win as early as May 9, election day.

• Garma says Duterte tapped 'Davao Model' on killing drug suspects

'PNP HAD NO FUNDS FOR THAT'

"I have no idea about that reward system," Dela Rosa told ABS-CBN News on Saturday.

"During my time as the Chief, PNP, I did not engage in a reward system because I had no funds for that," Dela Rosa, a former Davao City police chief, also said.

He added he does not know Garma's motivations for testifying at the House.

In a separate statement, Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go, Duterte's former aide and who has also been implicated in drug war killings, called Garma's testimony "diversionary tactics to muddle the true issue she is facing – her participation in an alleged murder plot."

Go was referring to the 2019 killing of PCSO board secretary Wesley Barayuga, also a former cop official, that Garma has been implicated in.

• PNP Chief Marbil orders reopening of Barayuga murder case

Go called Garma's statements "malicious and unsubstantiated" as he called on the Senate to launch its own investigation into the allegations against him and fellow Partido Demokratiko Pilipino senator Dela Rosa.

WHAT IS THE 'DAVAO MODEL'?

Garma, in an affidavit, said the Davao Model had three levels of payments or rewards for cops: "First is the reward if the suspect is killed. Second is the funding of planned operations (COPLANS). Third is the refund of operational expenses."

Under questioning from Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel, Garma said the rewards for drug personalities killed was between P20,000 to P1 million.

Manuel said he had received information that the reward varied depending on the importance of the supposed drug personality but Garma said she was "not familiar with the bracketing" of the rewards.

Duterte, during the election campaign and well into his presidency, had promised a tough campaign againt illegal drugs that he said would be bloody and would fatten the fish in Manila Bay with corpses.

Authorities have acknowledged more than 6,000 deaths in the war on drugs, although human rights groups have higher estimates on the number of people killed in anti-narcotics operations.

ESPENIDO CLAIM OF QUOTA AND REWARD SYSTEM

Police Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido — who had been involved in bloody anti-drug operations, including a 2017 raid against the Parojinog political family that left 16 people dead — told the House quad committee in August that there was a quota and reward system in the implementation of the war on drugs, a flagship program of the Duterte administration.

• Police officer confirms 'quota, reward system' during Duterte drug war

Espenido claimed that the rewards for drug personalities killed in operations were sourced from gambling operations, including from illegal games.

He also said the reward system was "very known" within the Philippine National Police.

DELA ROSA: ONLY REWARDS WERE FROM DILG

Dela Rosa said Saturday that "the only reward system in the PNP is the [Department of the Interior and Local Governemnt]-approved list of most wanted persons."

He added that he did not believe in implementing a reward system  "because it is a sworn duty of every policeman to keep his area of responsibility free from drugs."

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