Witness: Ex-PCSO, Napolcom execs allegedly ordered Barayuga's assassination

MANILA, Philippines — A police lieutenant colonel on Friday, September 27, testified that retired police chief Royina Garma and national police commissioner Edilberto Leonardo orchestrated the assassination of retired police general Wesley Barayuga in 2020. 

During the House quadcom’s seventh public hearing, police officer Santie Mendoza could not hold back tears when he confessed to lawmakers that he participated in the killing of Barayuga.

Mendoza is currently working at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Drug Enforcement Group Headquarters. In 2019, he was a police major assigned to the Deputy Chief PNP for Administration.

According to Mendoza’s sworn statement, it was Garma and Leonardo — his upperclassmen at the PNP Academy — who ordered him to find a hitman to kill Barayuga as early as 2019, citing his alleged involvement in illegal drug activities as the motive. 

“I received a call from Police Colonel Edilberto Leonardo, who informed me that he had a special project involving a high-value individual suspected of being involved in illegal drug activities,” Mendoza said in Filipino.

Mendoza said that he, along with three others identified as Nelson Mariano, “Loloy” and “Toks,” carried out the operation to kill Barayuga in July 2020. 

After completing the operation, Mendoza stated that Leonardo informed him of a P300,000 cash reward from Garma. The amount was split between Mendoza, Loloy and Mariano, with Mendoza receiving P40,000.

Mendoza explained that it was Toks, a subordinate of Garma, who handed them the cash incentive.

At the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Barayuga, a lawyer and retired police general, served as the agency’s board secretary during the time Garma was its general manager.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte appointed Garma as PCSO’s general manager in 2019. 

Before this, Garma was assigned as Cebu City’s police chief in 2018 after leading the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) in Davao City.

Former Cebu City mayor Tommy Osmeña, who carried with him a PCSO report at the previous public hearing, said that Garma received P1 million weekly from illegal gambling. 

Leonardo was also appointed by Duterte in