House detains police commissioner for lying in drug hearing

Metro Manila, Philippines — A national police commissioner has been detained at the House of Representatives for for “evading and lying” in an illegal drug hearing on Friday, Sept. 27

The quad committee cited in contempt Edilberto Leonardo, the commissioner of the National Police Commission (Napolcom), and ordered him detained in the House premises.

Leonardo is under investigation for his alleged involvement in the killing of three suspected Chinese drug lords at the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in 2016.

Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen “Caraps” Paduano asked Leonardo to confirm if he supposedly met with Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Senior Supt. Gerardo Padilla at the Davao City Criminal Investigation and Detection Group office regarding the death of the Chinese inmates.

Padilla was then warden of the Davao prison, one of the major facilities under BuCor.

“Kasi po marami na po tayong witnesses na all din. Saka alam na natin ‘yong totoong pangyayari [We have witnesses here. And we already know what really happened]... that includes also the question that I asked you in the previous hearing in regards to your meeting in which you evaded… to say and tell to this committee the place where the meeting happened,” Paduano said.

Leonardo denied multiple times that a meeting happened. Paduano then moved to cite him in contempt. Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop then pushed for Paduano’s detention.

The House committee is investigating links among illegal offshore gaming, illegal drugs, extrajudicial killings, and the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.