A Mandaluyong City court has ordered the arrest of former police colonel Royina Barayuga and four others in connection with the assassination of a Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office executive.
In a press briefing at Camp Crame yesterday, PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño confirmed the issuance of the warrant by the Mandaluyong City Regional Trial Court Branch 279 against the accused for murder and frustrated murder.
Also ordered arrested were former National Police Commission commissioner and retired police colonel Edilberto Leonardo, police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza, former police Staff Sergeant Jeremy Causapin and former police Corporal Nelson Mariano.
Tuaño said the arrest warrant was issued last September 13 and was received by the Mandaluyong City police station. The court set no bail.
The five were accused of murdering on July 30, 2020, then PCSO board secretary Wesley Barayuga, a retired police general, in Mandaluyong City. Barayuga’s driver, Jojo Gunao, was injured in the attack.
Tuaño said the “marching order” of acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr is “justice for all.”
“His (Nartatez) order to all members of the Philippine National Police is to implement all warrants, regardless of the (gravity of) case,” said Tuaño.
Tuaño said there is no need to create tracker groups or special groups to go after Garma and her co-accused, noting that the PNP has an existing Task Group Manhunt.
“He (Nartatez) said that regardless of the case, whether it’s big or small, we will implement the warrants. He said justice for all,” Tuaño said.
Garma retired from the PNP in 2019 and later served as PCSO general manager during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The Bureau of Immigration has said Garma left the country for Malaysia on September 7. Garma arrived in Manila a day earlier after a failed asylum bid in the United States.
Garma, who earlier confirmed a reward system under the Duterte administration’s bloody war against drugs, has agreed to testify against Duterte, according to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.
Duterte is currently detained in the Hague, Netherlands, facing charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court.
Tuaño said Mendoza is currently assigned to the Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit in Camp Crame.
The PNP is exerting efforts to locate the whereabouts of Garma and the three other accused.
