Palace will support filing of raps vs Leonardo – Bersamin

Comm. Edilberto Leonardo. | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of the House of Representatives of the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday said it would support the filing of complaints against National Police Commission (Napolcom) Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo over his alleged involvement in the killings during the Duterte administration.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin made the pronouncement after Leonardo was tagged in a House of Representatives Quad Committee hearing as one of those who allegedly planned the killing of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board secretary Wesley Barayuga in 2020 and three Chinese drug convicts in 2016.

“The Palace will support the filing but will leave the decision to file entirely to the DOJ (Department of Justice) or Ombudsman,” Bersamin told Palace reporters through Viber.

Malacañang on Sunday confirmed that Leonardo had resigned from his position.

During the quad panel’s hearing on September 27, Police Lt. Col. Santi Mendoza implicated Leonardo, saying Leonardo contacted him about operating a high-value drug target who happened to be Barayuga.

Senior Supt. Gerardo Padilla, former Davao prison chief, also bared that he had a conversation with Leonardo and former Police Col. Royina Garma about killing three Chinese nationals in the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in August 2016.

Leonardo denied the accusations and was cited for contempt by the quad panel for allegedly lying.

He was then ordered detained at the House premises.

READ: Napolcom exec Leonardo held in contempt for lying at House EJK probe