The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday said two former police officers implicated in the 2020 killing of Attorney Wesley Barayuga have surrendered following the issuance of arrest warrants. The alleged mastermind, however, remains at large.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago said Col. Santie Mendoza surrendered to NBI operatives in Bacolod City on Sept. 30, while former police officer Nelson Mariano turned himself in a day earlier. Both are now in NBI custody in Manila and are represented by legal counsel.
The arrests came after the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court issued warrants against Mendoza, Mariano, and several others, including retired police officer and former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Royina Garma, former National Police Commission Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, and three more suspects.
According to the NBI’s Organized and Transnational Crimes Division, Mendoza and Mariano previously testified before the House Quad Committee, admitting their roles in the killing and implicating higher-ranking officers in the murder plot.
Their testimonies revived what had been a four-year cold case and led to the filing of charges for murder and frustrated murder.
Santiago said the two 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, adding that further details remain confidential due to the ongoing case.
Authorities confirmed that Garma, who is also named in the arrest order, left the Philippines for Malaysia early last month and has since become unreachable. The NBI said it will coordinate with Interpol to facilitate her possible arrest abroad.
Barayuga, a former police officer turned lawyer and PCSO board secretary, was shot dead in 2020. His murder remained unresolved until Mendoza and Mariano surfaced last year, providing testimony that pointed to both alleged masterminds and the gunmen.
The two former officers are currently being held at an NBI detention facility while awaiting court proceedings and a decision on their possible inclusion in the Witness Protection Program.
Santiago said that based on their information, Garma is still in Malaysia. “We have not touched her when she was in the country because of the lack of an arrest warrant against her,” he said.