MANILA, Philippines — Both former police colonels Royina Garma and Edilberto Leonardo have denied any involvement in the killing of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Wesley Barayuga, disputing testimonies from an active police officer.
Garma, during the seventh hearing of the House of Representatives quad committee held on Friday, maintained that she and Barayuga were on good terms during the time both of them were at PCSO.
Earlier, Police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza said Leonardo allegedly instructed him to carry out the hit on Barayuga. Mendoza noted that when he hesitated to do it, Leonardo said the operation was ordered by Garma, a former PCSO general manager.
READ: Napolcom’s Leonardo, Garma tagged in killing of PCSO’s Barayuga
“No, Mr. Chair. I could recall, Mr. Chair, nung pag-upong pag-upo ko, naalala niyo po na pinatigil po lahat ng laro. That’s where the President gave instruction na mag-conduct ng thorough investigation. And to my understanding po, ang NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) po ang nag-investigate. And lahat naman po ang hiningi nila, binigay ko rin naman po,” Garma told Bukidnon 2nd District Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores.
(No, Mr. Chair. I could recall when I took office, this was when games were ordered stopped […] And to my understanding, the NBI was tasked to investigate. And all of the things they asked from me, I gave it to them.)
“So you would describe your working relationship as professional and cordial naman?” Flores asked.
“Maganda po. Wala po kami ng conflict. Yes, nag-uusap po kami (We’re good, we did not have any conflict. We were on speaking terms),” Garma added.
Garma also said that she was shocked to hear Mendoza’s accusations.
“Nag-record lang naman po ‘yan (Barayuga) during the board meeting. It’s the board who discusses all the sensitive issues. Him as the board […] secretary, he just takes notes. Wala naman po,” Garma said.
(Barayuga only records during board meetings. […] As the board secretary, he just takes notes. There were no issues.)
“So wouldn’t it be like, how would you react upon hearing the testimonies of Col. Mendoza? That it was Col. Leonardo who gave the instructions to Col. Mendoza and that the order to kill General Barayuga came from you?” Flores asked.
“Nagulat lang po ako (I was shocked), Mr. Chair. I didn’t expect it,” Garma replied.
Flores then turned to Leonardo, who also denied having a hand in the incident.
“Sir, you heard the testimony of Col. Mendoza […] identifying you as the person who ordered the death of General Barayuga, supposedly upon the instructions of Col. Garma. Is that correct sir?” Flores asked.
“That’s not true, Mr. Chair,” Leonardo replied.
‘So is there any reason? Is Col. Mendoza mad at you?” Flores inquired.
“Actually, I knew him only after meeting him once, I know that he’s one of our underclass, but aside from that, I have no idea, I do not know him,” Leonardo added.
Mendoza during his testimony said Leonardo, current commissioner of the National Police Commission, called him about an operation on a high-value drug target in the person of Barayuga. When Mendoza said he would think about the operation, Leonardo supposedly told him this would bode well for the police officer’s career.
According to Mendoza, Leonardo sent him a synopsis that would show how Barayuga was supposedly involved in the illegal drug trade. Mendoza then said that he would conduct his own study, but Leonardo supposedly said that the hit already had Garma’s blessing.
Mendoza said that he then asked a fellow police officer, Nelson Mariano, to help him carry out the hit.
When they were about to carry out the attack, Mendoza said that they were informed by Leonardo that Barayuga was inside the PCSO office in Mandaluyong, and Garma supposedly sent a photo of the late board secretary.
Mendoza said that Garma then coursed through Leonardo a payment of P300,000 for the hit.
Barayuga, a lawyer and a retired police general, was shot dead last July 2020, while he was on his way home from the PCSO headquarters in Mandaluyong City.
READ: PCSO board secretary shot dead in Mandaluyong City
In an interview with the Inquirer back then, former Mandaluyong City Police chief Col Hector Grijaldo Jr., Barayuga was gunned down by an unidentified assailant on a motorcycle around 3:30 p.m. at the corner of Calbayog and Malinaw Streets in Brgy. Highway Hills.
Barayuga suffered injuries in the head, near the neck, and one under the armpit, Grijaldo said, adding that one of the assailants who trailed the victim’s white pick-up government vehicle shot him from the passenger’s seat.
The police said back then that they were looking into an old grudge and Barayuga’s work as a board secretary as possible motives.