CEBU, Philippines – Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said in a press conference on Monday, September 8, that drug war whistleblower Royina Garma will be a key witness in the crimes against humanity case of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

This follows the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) confirmation in a social media post on Saturday, September 6 that Garma had returned to the Philippines after a failed attempt to seek asylum in the United States.

On Sunday, September 7, the BI announced that Garma had left as a tourist for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The immigration agency stated that there was no hold departure order or warrant of arrest issued against her, thus allowing her to travel.

According to Remulla, Garma is meeting with the representatives of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to be a witness in Duterte’s case.

“The best way to protect her is probably for the ICC to leave her abroad because her life could be in danger in our country — let’s face it,” he said.

Remulla clarified that while the Philippines has no official working relationship with the ICC, the country is still responsible for ensuring the safety of witnesses in international cases.

In October 2024, Garma testified before the House of Representatives and implicated Duterte as the mastermind of the bloody war on drugs and series of extrajudicial killings during his administration.

A month later, in November 2024, Garma flew to the US in an attempt to file an application for asylum which was denied upon her arrival in California. She was then detained at the South Louisiana Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center. 

In March 2025, Duterte was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA 3) over a warrant issued by the ICC.

The former president is detained at The Hague, Netherlands, and is facing a crimes against humanity case. – Rappler.com