‘Why was PCSO exec’s name included after his death?’

PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil has ordered a thorough investigation on how and why the name of slain Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Wesley Barayuga was included in the list of personalities involved in the trade of illegal drugs after his death.

Barayuga, a retired police general, was killed in July 2020 in Mandaluyong City.

Marbil has directed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to reopen the investigation into the killing after Police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza implicated National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) commissioner Edilberto Leonardo and former PSCO general manager Royina Garma to the assassination.

Mendoza told the quad committee of the House of Representatives that he was allegedly instructed by Leonardo and Garma to carry out the hit on Barayuga in exchange for P300,000, a claim corroborated by retired Police Cpl. Nelson Mariano, who admitted to recruiting the hitman, a certain “Loloy.”

Leonardo, a retired police colonel, was named NAPOLCOM commissioner in February 2022 a few months before former President Rodrigo Duterte vacated the presidency. NAPOLCOM commissioners have a fixed six-year term.

Garma, also a retired police colonel, was named by Duterte as PCSO general manager in 2019. She once headed the Davao City police station.

Mendoza told lawmakers during the quad committee’s hearing last Friday that Garma supposedly provided intelligence information for the operation, which he said he was made to believe was related to a high-value target in the government’s war against illegal drugs.

Mendoza said Barayuga’s name was supposedly included in the police’s drug list only after his death to allegedly justify his killing.

Marbil, in a statement, said the police investigation would include a review of the internal process that led to Barayuga’s inclusion in the drug watch list posthumously.

“We must dig deeper into why General Barayuga’s name appeared on a drug list after his death. This highlights a critical need to scrutinize and overhaul our processes,” he said as he underscored the need to review and refine the PNP procedures in the inclusion of individuals in crime-related list, including drugs.

“We are committed to thoroughly investigating the brutal murder of Gen. Barayuga, but equally important is the need to audit our internal mechanisms that may have contributed to this erroneous association,” he added.

The police chief stressed the inclusion of individuals in crime-related lists should be based on solid evidence and should undergo stringent validation process.

Marbil said any flaw in the preparation of such list not only undermines the police force but also the public trust that the PNP seeks to uphold.

“Our internal systems must be airtight. We need to ensure that every name on a crime-related list is supported by credible intelligence and goes through a rigorous validation process. This is essential for maintaining the integrity of the PNP and protecting the lives and reputations of those involved,” he said.

“We are committed to upholding the highest standards of justice and fairness. General Barayuga’s case is a stark reminder of the importance of constantly refining our procedures,” he also said.

The PNP’s Public Information Office (PIO) said Marbil initiated a “full review of its processes to prevent similar errors in the future.”

“He emphasized that transparency, accountability and accuracy are non-negotiable in police operations,” the PIO said in a statement.

Marbil also urged anyone who has knowledge about the murder of Barayuga to come forward and assist the PNP in solving the case.

MURDER RAPS

The overall chair of the House quad committee yesterday urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to immediately file murder charges against Garma and Leonardo for Barayuga’s killing.

“They do not have to wait for the report of the joint committee, which will include a recommendation to file such charges. The panel will take time to write the report since the inquiry is still ongoing,” Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said in a statement.

Barbers said the quad committee is closely coordinating with the DOJ following Mendoza’s revelations during the last committee hearing.

“They (DOJ) have representatives monitoring our hearings precisely because we are unearthing evidence of criminal activities and other acts of wrongdoing in the course of our inquiry. They should interview our two witnesses last Friday and assess their testimonies,” he said.

The hearing revealed that the motive centered around disagreements between Garma — who was known to be close to Duterte — and Barayuga in relation to the grant of “Peryahan ng Bayan” franchises and the issuance of board certificates for Small Town Lottery (STL) franchises, which the latter reportedly refused to sign without full board approval.

Barayuga’s death was part of the joint panel’s investigation into the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) linked to the Duterte administration’s brutal war on drugs, which also targeted political rivals and innocent individuals falsely accused of drug involvement after being deliberately included in the controversial drug list.

The former general’s death was initially linked to his alleged involvement in illegal drugs, but the quad committee’s investigation revealed that was just a smokescreen to hide the true motive for his assassination.

Barbers, who chairs the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, said the DOJ should already take cognizance of Mendoza’s and Mariano’s testimonies and their affidavits and file murder charges against Garma and Leonardo as soon as possible.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, who was the first to question Mendoza, suggested that the recommendation for the filing of murder charges be included in the committee report.

Pimentel described Garma as a “ruthless killer” pretending to be a “meek lamb.”

Mendoza has said the plot began in October 2019 when Leonardo, who is also a former police colonel, approached him with a “special project” to eliminate Barayuga and frame him for alleged involvement in illegal drugs.

A reluctant Mendoza complied, saying the order came directly from Garma, who was also known for her alleged links to the Davao Death Squad (DDS).

Garma and Leonardo are Mendoza’s seniors or upperclassmen at the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA).

Mendoza said Leonardo allegedly told him that a trusted aide of Garma, known as “Toks,” would call him for other details. He said he referred Toks to Mariano, who testified that the alleged Garma aide gave him information on Barayuga’s movement on the day the hitman carried out the assassination not far from the PCSO office in Mandaluyong City.

Mariano said the information supplied by Toks included a picture, apparently taken by Garma, of Barayuga while attending a PCSO meeting and the plate number of the PCSO-issued pick-up truck that Barayuga used.

Barbers said the DOJ should ask Mendoza and Mariano to submit the mobile phone evidence linking Garma and Leonardo to Barayuga’s assassination.

“The exchange of messages via Viber and the supposed photo of Barayuga taken by Garma during their PCSO meeting will strengthen the case against Garma and Leonardo,” he said.

Mariano told lawmakers that Toks was the person he met and who gave him P300,000 as payment for the assassination of the retired general, who was a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Matikas Class of 1983. — With Wendell Vigilia