Garma, Leonardo tagged in 2020 killing of PCSO exec

Former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Royina Garma general manager has been implicated anew as the “mastermind” behind the killing—this time of a colleague in the PCSO, board secretary Wesley Barayuga, who was shot dead in July 2020.

At the seventh hearing on Friday of the House quad comm investigating alleged extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration's drug war, P/Lt.Col. Santi Mendoza tagged Garma and National Police Commission (Napolcom) Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo as the brains behind the assassination plot. 

A P300,000 reward money supposedly coming from PCSO was set aside for the kill. 

In an affidavit, Mendoza, currently assigned to the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group Special Operations Unit 6, narrated that he got a call from Leonardo in October 2019 about an operation against a high-value target allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.

Mendoza claimed he was hesitant to abide by Leonardo’s directive but was later compelled to do so after learning that the marching order originated from Garma, “who has personal knowledge of the illicit drug activities of Barayuga.”

Barayuga was shot four times at close range on 30 July 2020 in Mandaluyong City. He was aboard a white pick-up truck that was allegedly issued by Garma herself.

“Colonel Leonardo told me that we will not have any difficulty in executing the operation because Ma'am Garma has already issued a service vehicle for Wesley Barayuga, and the description and plate number of the vehicle was given to me,” Mendoza said in Filipino.

“He said we can kill Wesley Barayuga after he exits the (PCSO) building. I forwarded all this information to Nelson Mariano” he added.

Mariano, a fellow police officer of Mendoza, allegedly hired the gunman named Loloy, who got the lion’s share of the reward at P200,000.

Mendoza was emotional while reading his affidavit because “we killed an innocent person.”

Both Garma and Leonardo denied Mendoza's allegations.

Surigao del Sur 2nd District Rep. Johnny Pimentel appealed to the committee that they should endorse filing murder charges against Garma and Leonardo, who were in cahoots with the Barayuga’s killing.

“Mr. Chair, Col. Garma is a woman disguised as a meek lamb, but deep inside her, she is a ruthless killer, killing without mercy innocent people, killing without remorse innocent victims, especially in the war on drugs,” Pimentel said. 

Citing reports, Pimentel said the assassination occurred at the height of an ongoing investigation wherein Barayuga had been "ready to testify" against the supposed corruption and illegal practices, most specifically in the operations of STL (small town lottery) during Garma’s tenure.

Garma and Leonardo were reportedly closely associated with former president Rodrigo Duterte. The duo were also allegedly former members of the Davao Death Squad.

Apart from Baruyaga’s killing, Garma was also accused of orchestrating the murders of the three alleged Chinese drug lords in 2016 at Davao Prison and Penal Farm.