CEBU CITY — Former Cebu City mayor Tommy Osmeña has accused former Cebu City Police chief Royina Garma of receiving P1 million in weekly payoffs from illegal gambling activities. The allegations surfaced during a hearing by the House Quad Committee, which is investigating extrajudicial killings, illegal drug operations, and Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) linked to the Duterte administration. Osmeña said he opposed Garma's appointment to lead Cebu City Police after receiving reports that she had been involved in illegal activities while serving as head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Davao City. The former mayor claimed that Garma regularly collected P1 million in payoff, facilitated by a police officer known as "SPO4 Art." Osmeña found this unacceptable and made it clear that he could not allow Garma to bring her alleged corrupt practices to Cebu City. He said SPO4 Art, who was rumored to be romantically involved with Garma, followed her when she was appointed to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) after retiring from the PNP in 2019. He revealed that in 2019, he had informed both former president Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Bong Go about Garma's alleged illegal activities. He claimed to have submitted documents proving her involvement, but no action was taken. Osmeña said he handed over the documents to Go, but they were ignored, and Duterte proceeded to appoint Garma as PCSO chief despite the allegations. Garma, who had been held in contempt by the House Quad Committee for evading questions during a previous hearing, is also being linked to the deaths of three Chinese drug lords in 2016, just two months after Duterte's war on drugs began. Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez suggested that the "SPO4 Art" mentioned by Osmeña could be the same police officer implicated in the killings of the Chinese drug lords at the Davao Penal Colony. During the hearing, Osmeña denied Garma's earlier claim that their differences were personal, asserting that he had not known her prior to her transfer to Cebu City. His opposition to her appointment, Osmeña said, was based solely on the reports that reached the mayor's office at that time. As the quad committee continues its investigation into the broader scope of Garma's alleged illegal connections and her role in the Duterte administration's anti-crime efforts, Osmeña has expressed his readiness to provide further testimony. He plans to reveal additional information about police officers and civilians killed during Duterte's controversial anti-drug campaign. Ruling overturned The Office of the Ombudsman has overturned its earlier ruling that found Osmeña guilty of grave misconduct, dismissing the administrative and criminal charges. This was filed against him by Garma in connection with a 2018 incident. Osmeña's legal counsel, Armando Virgil Ligutan, announced on Thursday that they had received the Ombudsman's decision, dated July 10. The ruling reverses a February 2024 decision that had imposed a one-year suspension on Osmeña for intervening in the arrest of three men accused of illegally refilling butane canisters with liquefied petroleum gas. The case stemmed from an Aug. 24, 2018 incident when police from the Pari-an station apprehended Romeo Apparece, Romeo Cuevas, and Ramir Amaca for the illegal refilling of butane canisters. That night, Osmeña visited the police station and ordered the release of the three, prompting Garma to file a complaint for grave misconduct and obstruction of justice. Initially, the Ombudsman ruled in favor of Garma, penalizing Osmeña with a one-year suspension. However, as Osmeña was no longer in office, the suspension was converted into a fine equivalent to his annual salary as mayor. Osmeña's legal team subsequently filed motions for reconsideration, citing a violation of his right to a speedy trial, and sought a review of the decision. After a thorough review, the Ombudsman reversed its earlier ruling, stating that the evidence was insufficient to prove that Osmeña intended to obstruct justice. "This Office finds the evidence insufficient to support the supposition that Osmeña intended to facilitate the escape of Amaca, Apparece, and Cuevas in order to impede, frustrate, or delay the successful investigation and prosecution of the cases," the Ombudsman's July decision read. Osmeña had maintained that his actions were in response to reports from his constituents regarding the "illegal arrest" of the vendors. The Ombudsman ruled that Garma's complaint did not adequately counter Osmeña's defense or provide sufficient proof of his criminal intent. This reversal marks a victory for Osmeña, who had been embroiled in the legal battle for over five years. The overturned decision highlights the contentious relationship between Osmeña and Garma, who were at odds during the latter's tenure as Cebu City's police chief. The case has been one of the many legal challenges Osmeña faced after his tenure as mayor ended in 2019.