NBI zeroes in on Barayuga slay mastermind

Two former police officers implicated in the 2020 murder of lawyer Wesley Barayuga have surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) following the issuance of arrest warrants.

In a statement Wednesday, the NBI also disclosed that the alleged mastermind — retired police officer and former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma — remains at large after reportedly leaving the country.

NBI director Jaime Santiago confirmed that Col. Santie Mendoza yielded to NBI operatives in Bacolod City on 30 September, while former police officer Nelson Mariano turned himself in a day earlier.

Both men are now in NBI custody in Manila and are represented by counsel.

The surrenders came after the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court issued warrants for their arrest, along with Garma, former National Police Commission Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, and three other suspects.

The NBI Organized and Transnational Crimes Division said Mendoza and Mariano previously testified before the House Quad Committee, where they admitted their participation in the crime and linked higher-ranking officers to the murder plot.

Their statements revived the four-year-old cold case and led to the filing of charges for murder and frustrated murder.

Santiago said both men may be recommended for discharge as state witnesses, subject to court approval.

“Their testimonies were material in identifying the mastermind and connecting the chain from planning to execution,” Santiago said.

To recall, Barayuga — a former police officer who became a lawyer and PCSO board secretary — was gunned down in July 2020 while riding a vehicle with his driver at the corner of Calbayog and Malinaw Streets in Mandaluyong City.

Meantime, Department of Justice (DoJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla issued a stern warning Wednesday for Garma and her co-accused to surrender, vowing that the government will exhaust all legal means to compel the former PCSO chief’s return.

Remulla said Garma will be considered a fugitive if she fails to surrender, stating, “If you don’t surrender, that’s what will happen.”

Authorities confirmed that Garma, who was indicted on charges of murder and frustrated murder, left the Philippines for Malaysia early last month and has since become unreachable. Santiago confirmed Garma is still in Malaysia.

Remulla announced he would meet with Santiago to formally request the assistance of Interpol for an international Red Notice.

The DoJ may also file a petition for the cancellation of Garma’s passport to revoke her travel documents and force her to return to the Philippines.

Mendoza and Mariano are being held in an NBI detention facility pending court proceedings and a decision on their possible inclusion in the Witness Protection Program.