House eyes murder raps vs Garma, Leonardo

The House quad committee will recommend the filing of murder charges against former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO)

general manager Royina Garma and National Police Commission (Napolcom) Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo who were alleged to be behind the 2020 killing of PCSO board secretary Wesley Barayuga, a retired police general.

In an interview on Monday, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said the committee will likely file its partial report recommending the criminal raps at the next hearing scheduled for the third week of October.

“Congress can only conduct hearings or inquiries in aid of legislation. We don’t have prosecutorial powers. The only thing we can do in the committee report is to recommend murder charges to the judicial body,” Pimentel said.

“In this case, we can forward the committee report to the Department of Justice,” he added.

Over the weekend, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil announced the reopening of the investigation into Barayuga’s killing to be led by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Pimentel said they would leave the filing of a case to the PNP should they establish prima facie evidence.

Barayuga was shot dead by a gunman on a motorcycle on 30 July 2020 shortly after leaving the PCSO office in Mandaluyong City.

Bayuga was aboard a white pickup truck, one of 10 issued to PCSO board members allegedly on instructions of Garma.

Police Lt. Col. Santi Mendoza, who admitted to arranging the assassination for P300,000, said the order to permanently silence Barayuga had come from Garma through Leonardo, allegedly because Barayuga was involved in “illicit drug activities.”

Mendoza became emotional while giving his testimony before the quad comm because “we killed an innocent person.”

Both Garma, a retired police officer who had headed the PNP-CIDG, and Leonardo denied the allegations against them.

In an interview on Monday, quad comm chairperson Robert Ace Barbers said the lawmakers believed Mendoza was a credible witness.

“It was a solid testimony because it was an admission against self-interest, which the court gives weight to,” he said.

According to Barbers, another witness will appear at the next hearing and may corroborate Mendoza’s testimony.

He said the DoJ was also exploring the possibility of having Mendoza serve as a state witness.

“We will forward it to the CIDG so that there can finally be closure to the killing of General Barayuga,” he said.

Members of the quad comm believe that Barayuga was innocent of the accusations against him, having been described as a simple person who commuted to work and brought his lunch to the office by his colleagues in the PCSO and his classmates in the Philippine Military Academy.

Barayuga’s assassination reportedly occurred at the height of an ongoing investigation wherein he had been “ready to testify” against the supposed corruption and illegal practices, most specifically in the operations of the STL (small town lottery), during Garma’s tenure at the PCSO.

Garma and Leonardo were reportedly closely associated with former President Rodrigo Duterte and were allegedly former members of the Davao Death Squad.

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

Pimentel called Garma a “ruthless killer” who hid behind “an innocent facade to commit brutal crimes” especially at the height of the war on drugs.

Former Cebu City Mayor Tommy Osmeña, who also testified before the quad comm, said at least 198 killings were recorded during Garma’s tenure as the city’s chief of police.

Go backs PNP probe

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has expressed his support for the national police’s decision to reopen the investigation into the killing of Barayuga.

In a statement, Go emphasized the importance of delivering justice to Barayuga’s family, asserting that justice should have been served long ago.

Go’s comments came amid renewed scrutiny of the case, which has remained unresolved since Barayuga’s death.

“It’s good that this matter is being investigated now to hold the responsible parties accountable,” he said, highlighting the need for transparency and diligence in the investigation process.

The senator took the opportunity to clarify his position regarding the investigation, stating, “I have no knowledge of any alleged motives behind his death or any information that former PCSO Chair Anselmo Simeon Pinili may have regarding this.”

He pointed out that during the time of the incident, he was focused on the pandemic as the chair of the Senate Committee on Health, working closely with the Duterte administration to address pressing national issues.

“In truth, I could not interfere with the police process regarding this incident,” he asserted.

The senator expressed frustration over media reports that insinuated that he knew the motive behind Barayuga’s death and that he had failed to act.

“Please get your facts straight. Let’s stick to the truth,” he said.