A police officer implicated former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma in the assassination of board secretary and retired general Wesley Barayuga in 2020.
During the seventh hearing of the House of Representatives Quad Committee Friday on alleged extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration, Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza of the Police Drug Enforcement Group recounted that National Police Commission Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo contacted him in October 2019.
Leonardo told then-Maj. Mendoza, who was assigned to the Philippine National Police deputy chief for administration at the time, that Barayuga was a high-value target due to his alleged links with illegal drugs.
The instruction to kill Barayuga came from Garma, according to Mendoza.
Mendoza said he hired a certain “Loloy,” who was recruited by an informant, to carry out the killing.
He said they were paid PHP300,000.
On the day Barayuga was ambushed, Mendoza said they received real-time information on his movement, from the moment he was attending a PCSO meeting with Garma until he left the agency’s building in Mandaluyong City.
“Noong Hulyo 30, 2020, muling tumawag si Colonel Leonardo at ipinaalam sa akin na ang target na si Wesley Barayuga ay nasa PCSO at maaari na naming isagawa ang operasyon. Ipinadala niya sa akin ang larawan ni Wesley Barayuga habang ito ay nasa conference meeting sa loob ng PCSO. Sinabi ni Colonel Leonardo na ang larawan ni Wesley Barayuga ay kinuha at ipinadala sa kanya ni Ma’am Garma (On July 30, 2020, Colonel Leonardo called me again and informed me that the target, Wesley Barayuga, was at PCSO and that we could proceed with the operation. He sent me the picture of Wesley Barayuga while he was in a conference meeting inside the PCSO. Colonel Leonardo said that the photo of Wesley Barayuga was taken and sent to him by Ma’am Garma),” Mendoza narrated.
Mendoza said he obeyed Leonardo out of fear for his life, his career and the safety of his family.
Reports said a motorcycle-riding gunman opened fire on the car of Barayuga along Calbayog Street in Barangay Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City.
Surigao del Sur 2nd District Rep. Johnny Pimentel said the quad committee must recommend that appropriate murder charges be filed against Garma and Leonardo.
“This was not just a random act of violence. This was a calculated murder ordered at the highest levels to protect individuals engaged in corrupt practices at the PCSO. It is clear that the murder of General Barayuga was intended to stop him from testifying against the corruption plaguing the agency,” said Pimentel.
“We cannot allow these heinous acts to go unpunished,” Pimentel added.
Earlier in the day, Leonardo was cited in contempt for “evading and lying to the joint committee” and ordered his detention at the House premises in Quezon City. (PNA)
