GMA News
DOJ to coordinate with PNP to open probe vs. Garma
Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to file murder charges against retired Police Colonels Royina Garma and Edilberto Leonardo for the 2020 ambush-slay of PCSO board secretary Wesley Barayuga.
Two witnesses, police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza and drug informant Nelson Mariano, testified that Garma and Leonardo planned and funded Barayuga's assassination.
Mendoza testified that Leonardo, allegedly upon Garma's request, asked him to 'operate' on Barayuga in October 2019, a term understood to mean liquidation.
Mariano allegedly received P300,000 from a trusted aide of Garma as payment for the hit.
Quad-comm vice chairman Romeo Acop suggested that Barayuga was killed because he opposed Garma's plan to expand PCSO's small-town lottery operations.
The DOJ will coordinate with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to reopen the investigation against Garma and Leonardo, with Justice Undersecretary Nicky Ty stating that the witnesses' testimonies carry significant weight.
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National Police Commission (Napolcom) Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo and former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Royina Garma allegedly ordered the July 2020 killing of PCSO Board Secretary Wesley Barayuga.
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The Philippine National Police (PNP) is reinvestigating the July 2020 murder of retired General Wesley Barayuga, former board secretary of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
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The Philippine National Police - Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS) has initiated an administrative investigation into police officials implicated in the killing of retired police general and PCSO board secretary Wesley Barayuga.
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Two police officers, Col. Roland Vilela and S/Sgt. Jeremy Causapin, have been relieved from their posts as part of the reinvestigation into the 2020 killing of PCSO Board Secretary Wesley Barayuga.
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Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil ordered enhanced security for Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza, who has implicated former PCSO general manager Royina Garma and retired police colonel Edilberto Leonardo in the killing of PCSO board secretary Wesley Barayuga.
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