The Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court (RTC) has ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs to (DFA) revoke the passports of retired police colonel Royina Garma and former National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo in connection with the murder of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board secretary Wesley Barayuga.
Meanwhile, the Philippine government can ask International Police (Interpol) to help repatriate Garma to face murder and attempted murder cases over the Barayuga killing.
The Mandaluyong RTC Branch 279 also issued a hold departure order against Garma, Leonardo and their co-accused, police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza, ex-police officer Nelson Mariano, and Jeremy Causapin, the GMA Integrated News reported.
Aside from Garma and Leonardo, the court also ordered the cancellation of the passports of Mendoza, Mariano, and Causapin.
“As holders of valid Philippine passports, there exists serious risk that they will flee from the jurisdiction of the court to evade trial and punishment,” the court noted.
In its four-page order, the court also junked a motion to suspend proceedings filed by Garma and Leonardo.
The court also ordered that Mendoza and Mariano remain in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation.
Both Mendoza and Mariano were arrested in connection with Barayuga’s death. Their lawyer, Raymund Palad, entered a not guilty plea on their behalf.
The pre-trial conference will be tentatively held on Nov.12.
Garma is facing a complaint for murder and frustrated murder for allegedly ordering Barayuga’s killing in 2020.
She was deported by the United States Immigration last September after her asylum application was rejected, according to government sources.
Garma and Leonardo were tagged as masterminds in Barayuga’s slay during the hearings of the House Quad Committee. However, the two denied the accusations.
“The cases have already been filed. The warrants have already been issued and that would be a ground to request the issuance of a Red Notice and cancellation of the passport from Department of Foreign Affairs,” prosecutor general Richard Fadullon said.
A Red Notice is a request for law enforcement agencies “to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action,” Interpol said on its website.
Fadullon said that once Garma’s passport is cancelled, “we can restrict her movement and hopefully, our partners in the Interpol will help us bring her back to the Philippines.”
The Bureau of Immigration recorded Garma leaving for Malaysia in September.
She had been the subject of an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order, which directed Immigration to monitor her movements, but did not authorize it to prevent her departure.
At the time, Garma had just returned from the US, where Immigration authorities intercepted her in November 2024 because of a cancelled visa.
At a House hearing in October last year, Garma admitted that then President Rodrigo Duterte had asked her to help set up the government’s bloody war on drugs, which she said was based on what she called the “Davao Model.”
