MANILA, Philippines — Drug war whistleblower and former police officer Royina Garma returned to the Philippines on Saturday after nearly 10 months in the United States, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed.

Immigration spokesman Dana Sandoval said Garma arrived at about 7 p.m. and underwent standard arrival procedures just like any other Filipino returning from abroad.

Garma left the country in November 2024, days after publicly confirming the existence of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called Davao Death Squad and the reward system tied to his bloody drug war.

She was apprehended upon arrival in San Francisco and detained at the South Louisiana Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center while seeking political asylum.

Her asylum bid was denied, and she was placed under US custody for eight months before her return.

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