Davao as the Darganis’ escape route

After all the trouble and expense the Office of the Senate Sergeant-At-Arms personnel had gone through to apprehend Pharmally executives Mohit and Twinkle Dargani in Davao City (“Foiled escape,” 11/18/21), just-resigned “Palace Pinocchio” Harry Roque still could not help bloviating about how the Palace made that arrest possible, in an obvious attempt to grab credit for his boss.

In his last presser before filing his certificate of candidacy for senator, Roque said: “The important thing is, it’s the executive branch that halted them from leaving … I don’t think it (could have been) done without the cooperation of the executive branch … because the airport is under (its control).”

Davao City was apparently chosen as the escape route for the fugitives because their “godfather” had always had their backs and was in control of the airport. But clearly, President Duterte’s “intelligence” operatives were sleeping on the job. They never expected the Senate to be that serious and determined to acquire custody of the Darganis and squeeze out of them the truth about what they did with the billions of money intended for the country’s pandemic response.

On the lam for weeks, the Dargani siblings must have set that plan in motion for some time with the help of their cohorts in Davao City. It could not have been put together without the knowledge of the Palace. Roque himself had made it clear one way or another: Nothing happens in Davao City without President Duterte knowing about it. Roque should be sent not to the Senate, but to jail for helping harbor those fugitives. Until, of course, the whole shebang blew up in the Palace’s face.

Rey Chavez Escobar, [email protected]