Retired police colonel Royina Garma hired her relatives at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) when she was general manager, and after her stint, set up a party-list that rode on the branding, and sometimes events, of the office. 

The House quad committee investigating Garma’s alleged links to extrajudicial killings questioned what it described as “unethical” acts.

Garma’s personal life took the spotlight during the House of Representatives’ quad committee hearing on Friday, September 27, after lawmakers revealed that Garma brought her relatives to work with her at the PCSO.

The former PCSO general manager confirmed that she hired her relatives:

• Marie Louise Serojales – cousin; a nurse
• Doris Garma – former sister-in-law; administrative staff
• Howard Marzan – first cousin on the maternal side; IT consultant
• Irene Marzan – Howard’s wife; Garma’s private secretary
• Police Sergeant Enecito Ubales Jr. – first cousin; cop detailed to Garma
• Emy Ubales – Enecito’s wife; position not specified

Garma also hired her daughter, who has no prior experience in PCSO operations, as a confidential agent. Garma’s daughter has been diagnosed with dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and bipolar with depression as confirmed by the former PCSO official herself.

“Dyslexia is not a disease. It is a learning disorder, but she was able to overcome it, Mr. Chair, and continuous po ‘yong therapy niya during that time (her therapy was continuous at the time). She’s very brilliant in communication. In fact, she writes articles in their school po, siya’ng gumagawa during that time na nasa high school po siya (she’s the one who writes during her time in high school),” Garma said of her daughter.

The former PCSO chief added that her daughter was diagnosed with bipolar disorder only after her (Garma’s) stint at the agency.

But health aside, is Garma’s daughter qualified for the post? Apparently not, according to Santa Rosa, Laguna Representative and quad committee co-chairperson Dan Fernandez.

Fernandez said the qualifications to be a confidential agent include a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and previous experience in law enforcement. Garma said “she’s not aware” if her daughter has experience in law enforcement.

When asked if hiring relatives in government is unethical, Garma replied: “The positions that were given to them, ang (the) requirement lang po (only requirement) is trust and confidence…. Just like anybody appointed.”

It has yet to be established if Garma committed nepotism or not, but the country’s Administrative Code prohibits nepotism in government.

Based on the code, all appointments “made in favor of a relative of the appointing or recommending authority, or of the chief of the bureau or office, or of the persons exercising immediate supervision over him” are prohibited. The code defines “relative” as members of the family within third degree, either by consanguinity or affinity.

The rule exempts certain positions from nepotism, including people employed in a confidential capacity.

Meanwhile, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees states that government officials and workers “shall not dispense or extend undue favors on account of their office to their relatives whether by consanguinity or affinity except with respect to appointments of such relatives to positions considered strictly confidential or as members of their personal staff whose terms are coterminous with theirs.”

Party-list run by a relative, associate

Garma still had some years ahead of her before reaching the mandatory age of 56, but she opted for early retirement and applied for a PCSO post under Duterte.

She served as PCSO general manager from 2019 to 2022. Lawmakers, during the House probes, extracted from Garma that it was Senator Bong Go, Duterte’s former aide, who facilitated her application for PCSO chief.

On Friday, Garma confirmed that she set up the group, STL Partylist – Samahan ng Totoong Larong may Puso, which sought a House seat in 2022. The acronym of the party-list bears a striking similarity to the PCSO’s Small Town Lottery, a grassroots-based lottery.

Garma’s party-list failed to secure a seat in the last polls.

The former PCSO official confirmed that the party-list’s second nominee was her cousin Hector Marzan. The first nominee was Yvonne Barandog, wife of Police Lieutenant Colonel Chuck Barandog, who was a cop detailed to Garma under PCSO.

Fernandez presented a screenshot of a Facebook post showing that the STL Party-list rode on some of the PCSO’s projects. The post showed that in December 2021, a P2-million check from the PCSO was turned over to the Mandaue City local government. The post said the party-list’s first nominee “facilitated” the check’s turnover.

Fernandez alleged that Garma placed PCSO money in the STL Foundation which supported the party-list, but Garma denied the lawmaker’s allegation.

Other allegations

Garma is at the center of the House probe over her alleged involvement in the killing of three Chinese drug lords in Davao in 2016. Her implication in the killing was established only in the quad committee probe.

Prior to that, she was the police chief in Cebu when the city became a hot spot for drug war killings under Duterte. Garma was also named by whistleblower Arturo Lascañas as an alleged member of the Davao Death Squad, which killed people upon Duterte’s orders.

On Friday, Garma faced a new allegation after Police Lieutenant Colonel Santie Mendoza implicated her in the assassination of PCSO board secretary Wesley Barayuga in 2020. Mendoza alleged that Garma and another cop and now National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo ordered Barayuga’s killing.

Barayuga, before he was killed, said he was willing to testify against the corruption in PCSO. Garma was the PCSO general manager when the board secretary was slain while aboard his vehicle in Mandaluyong City. – Rappler.com