Speaker grateful for PMA Class ’83 vote of confidence in Quad Comm
The Philippine National Police (PNP) is reopening its investigation into the 2020 murder of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Wesley Barayuga.
On Sunday, PNP Chief Police General Rommel Francisco Marbil said he ordered the reopening of the cold case after whistleblower Police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza told the House Quad Committee that he helped carry out the killing at the behest of ex-PCSO general manager Royina Garma.
Mendoza narrated before congressmen how Garma allegedly facilitated the PCSO official’s roadside assassination on July 30, 2020 by providing the necessary information about his schedule, details about his vehicle and the funding necessary to carry it out.
The whistleblower also implicated incumbent National Police Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo in the planning of the murder.
Barayuga was a retired police general and lawyer who supposedly threatened to expose corruption within the PCSO shortly before he was shot dead in Mandaluyong City.
Garma, herself an ex-police Lt. Colonel, allegedly gained the top spot at the PCSO because of her intimate ties with then-President Rodrigo Duterte.
“This revelation demands a thorough reinvestigation of the murder. No one is above the law, and we will seek justice for Ret. Gen. Wesley Barayuga and his family with the full resources of the PNP,” Marbil said in a statement.
He tasked the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to lead the “full investigation” into the case.
“We are committed to uncovering the truth, regardless of the position or power of those involved. The public can rest assured that we will hold those responsible accountable,” said Marbil.
Meanwhile, alumni of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Matikas” Class of 1983 on Sunday lauded the House of Representatives for investigating anew the murder of one of their own.
“The PMA Matikas Class of 1983 extends our deep gratitude and appreciation to the honorable members of the Quad-Committee of the House of Representatives… for the inquiry that finally identified the alleged suspects in the assassination of our dear mistah Wesley Barayuga,” the statement of Barayuga’s “mistahs” (batchmates) read.
“And on behalf of the family of our dear mistah, we also convey their profound gratitude for the identification of the suspected assailants. It may not bring our dear Wesley back, but it is reassuring that there are people in government who are doing their best to bring the perpetrators to justice,” the group said.
“Your persistent efforts and incisive line of questioning have given light and hope for the successful resolution of Wesley’s tragic assassination 4 years ago,” they further stated.
For his part, House Speaker Martin Romualdez thanked the Matikas Class of 1983 for their vote of confidence they are giving the Quad Comm.
“I would like to thank the PMA Matikas Class of 1983 for the trust and confidence they have given to our quad committees in looking for justice for their mistah that was assassinated in 2019,” he said.
“Rest assured our quad members will continue to look for the truth amid the bashing and hate messages from a certain sector,” he added.
As this developed, former PCSO chairman Anselmo Simeon Pinili, also a retired general and PMA Class 1983 alumnus, revealed to lawmakers that Senator Christopher Go was already privy to the possible motive behind the 2020 murder but did nothing.
Pinili admitted that he shared details of the possible motive with Go and former chief Presidential Legal Counsel Jesus Melchor Quitain.
Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, another retired police general, asked Pinili about internal issues at the PCSO that could have contributed to Barayuga’s murder.
The witness recounted that the friction centered around disagreements Garma and Barayuga had regarding the issuance of board certificates for small town lttery (STL) franchises, which the latter reportedly refused to sign without full board approval.
During the hearing, Pinili also described the late official as a “simple, modest and honorable man.”
“Are you saying that you now know who ordered the killing [of Barayuga]. Would that be correct?” Acop asked the witness in a mixture of Filipino and English.
Pinili replied, “Yes, your Honor.”
