Garma tagged in PCSO exec’s slay in 2020

A police officer has implicated former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma in the 2020 assassination of board secretary and retired general Wesley Barayuga.

During the seventh hearing of the House of Representatives Quad Committee on alleged extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration, Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza of the Police Drug Enforcement Group revealed that he was contacted by National Police Commission (Napolcom) Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo in October 2019. 

At that time, Mendoza, then a major assigned to the Philippine National Police’s deputy chief for administration, was informed by Leonardo that Barayuga was considered a “high-value target” due to his alleged involvement in illegal drugs.

Mendoza testified that the order to kill Barayuga came directly from Garma. According to him, he enlisted a man known as “Loloy,” who was recruited through an informant, to carry out the assassination for a payment of P300,000.

On the day of the attack, Mendoza stated that they received real-time updates on Barayuga’s movements, starting from when he attended a PCSO meeting with Garma, until he left the agency’s building in Mandaluyong City.

“On July 30, 2020, Col. 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 a photo of Barayuga taken during a conference meeting inside the PCSO. Col. Leonardo said the picture was sent to him by Ma’am Garma,” Mendoza narrated.

Mendoza claimed he followed Leonardo’s orders out of fear for his life, his career, and the safety of his family.

Reports indicated that Barayuga was ambushed by a motorcycle-riding gunman along Calbayog Street in Barangay Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City.

Surigao del Sur 2nd District Representative Johnny Pimentel emphasized the need for the committee to recommend murder charges against both Garma and Leonardo.

“This was not a random act of violence but a premeditated murder, ordered at the highest levels to protect individuals involved in corrupt activities within the PCSO. General Barayuga was silenced to prevent him from testifying about the corruption in the agency,” Pimentel said.

“We cannot allow such heinous acts to go unpunished,” he added.

Earlier, Leonardo was cited in contempt for “evading and lying” to the joint committee and was ordered detained at the House premises in Quezon City.