THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday said two of the suspects in the 2020 killing of retired police general and former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board secretary Wesley Barayuga have surrendered and are now in its custody.
In a press briefing, NBI Director Jaime Santiago presented to the media retired police colonel Santie Mendoza and dismissed police officer Nelson Mariano.
The two are among those ordered arrested by Branch 179 of the Mandaluyong city regional trial court in connection with the Barayuga slay case.
Also covered by the arrest warrant are retired police colonel Royina Garma, retired police colonel and former National Police Commission official Edilberto Leonardo, and Jeremy Causapin.
Santiago said Mariano surrendered in Manila on September 29 to the NBI Organized and Transnational Crime Division (NBI-OTCD).
Mendoza surrendered in Bacolod City on September 30. He arrived at the NAIA Terminal 3 Tuesday night escorted by operatives of the NBI- OTCD.
From the airport, Mendoza’s group directly proceeded to the NBI headquarters, where Mendoza and Mariano are temporarily detained.
Santiago told reporters that Mendoza called the NBI after learning that a warrant for his arrest has been issued by the Mandaluyong court.
Santiago assured Mendoza and Mariano of their safety while under the custody of the NBI.
“Nakakasiguro kayo na secured kayo dito, hindi kayo sasaktan (You can be assured of your safety here, you will not be hurt),” he said.
Mariano’s legal counsel Raymund Palad agreed hat his client will be safer while under NBI custody.
“It would be much better for him to remain in NBI detention while the other accused are yet to be arrested,” Palad said in Filipino.
He said his Mariano and Mendoza will apply to become state witnesses to help in the resolution of the Barayuga slay case.
Santiago said the two have earlier admitted their participation in the Barayuga case and implicated Garma and Leonardo as the alleged masterminds.
Barayuga was gunned down in broad daylight on July 30, 2020 by a motorcycle-riding gunman in Mandaluyong city while on his way home. His driver survived the attack.
Both Garma and Leonardo have denied Mendoza’s allegations.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the government will exhaust all legal means to find and compel Garma to face the charges against her.
He said the DOJ will formally request assistance from the Interpol to find Garma, who left the country last September 7 for Malaysia to meet with officials of the International Criminal Court in preparation for her possible testimony against former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing charges of crimes against humanity before the international tribunal.
Remulla said the DOJ may also file a petition to cancel Garma’s passport to force her to return to the country.
Remulla said Garma and her co-accused would be considered fugitives if they refuse to surrender.
Garma arrived in Manila on September 6 after the United States rejected her asylum bid.
The Bureau of Immigration earlier said Garma is not the subject of any hold departure order, though her name has been included in the bureau’s Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order.
In her testimony before the House Quad Committee last year, Garma confirmed the existence of death squads tasked to kill those allegedly involved in the illegal drugs trade.
She also testified to the existence of a reward system for the drug war of the Duterte administration.
Santiago said they have already notified the Interpol of the warrant against Garma, adding that the latter can no longer be contacted on her cellular phone number that she provided to authorities after she arrived from the US.
“She provided us with a cellphone number but since the warrant was issued up to now, she could not be contacted,” he said in Filipino.
“Her counsel told us their last communication was on September 6 after her arrival and since then, they have no communications,” he added.
