Senior Superintendent Gerardo Padilla of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) testified during a congressional inquiry on Thursday that former President Rodrigo Duterte personally called him to congratulate him for the killing of three Chinese drug convicts in 2016. Padilla, who was the chief of the Davao Prison and Penal Farm at the time, confirmed the call in a supplemental affidavit dated September 9.
According to Padilla, the congratulatory call came after the execution of convicts Chu Kin Tung (alias Tony Lim), Li Lan Yan (alias Jackson Li), and Wong Meng Pin (alias Wang Ming Ping) on August 13, 2016. Padilla said he initially denied receiving the call from Duterte due to concerns for his family’s safety.
Padilla’s testimony aligns with that of Leopoldo Tan Jr., a person deprived of liberty, who had previously testified that Duterte called Padilla following the killings.
The allegations against Duterte have been dismissed by his former legal counsel Salvador Panelo as a “demolition job” intended to damage the former president’s reputation, accusing those involved of lying for money and freedom.