By JOSEPH ANTHONY A. DAMGO
Explosive testimony during a congressional inquiry has uncovered a plot to murder retired Philippine Military Academy (PMA) general and PCSO Corporate Secretary Atty. Wesley Barayuga, allegedly ordered by top law enforcement officials linked to the Duterte administration.
The assassination, carried out on July 30, 2020, was reportedly intended to silence Barayuga and prevent him from exposing deep-seated corruption in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), particularly in the Small Town Lottery (STL) operations.
During the hearing, Rep. Johnny Pimentel led the questioning of Lt. Col. Santi Mendoza, a former officer in the NCRPO's Regional Drug Enforcement Unit, whose testimony implicated Col. Edilberto Leonardo and PCSO General Manager Royina Garma in the murder.
Mendoza testified that Leonardo had approached him in October 2019 with a request to help "liquidate" a high-value target—Atty. Barayuga. The reason? Barayuga had been investigating and was on the verge of exposing a corruption scheme involving millions of pesos in PCSO funds.
“This was not just a random act of violence. This was a calculated murder ordered at the highest levels to protect individuals engaged in corrupt practices at the PCSO. It is clear that the murder of General Barayuga was intended to stop him from testifying against the corruption plaguing the agency,” said Pimentel during the inquiry.
Pimentel emphasized the gravity of the situation, noting that Barayuga, a retired police general and PMA graduate of Matikas Class 1983, had assumed his position as Corporate Board Secretary of the PCSO on January 24, 2018. He had been working closely with then-General Manager Royina Garma before uncovering financial anomalies within the agency.
In the hearing, Mendoza recounted receiving multiple calls from Leonardo between October 2019 and June 2020, each one pushing for the assassination to be carried out.
“On February 2020, Col. Leonardo contacted me again and explicitly mentioned Atty. Wesley Barayuga as the target. He fabricated stories linking Barayuga to drug activities to justify the hit,” Mendoza said.
Pimentel pressed Mendoza further, seeking clarity on the chain of events. “So, Col. Leonardo, under the directive of Col. Garma, was asking you to execute a hit on Atty. Barayuga, someone he falsely accused of being involved in drugs?” Pimentel asked. Mendoza confirmed this, noting that he was given detailed instructions, including Barayuga's schedule, vehicle information, and personal activities, all to ensure the operation would succeed.
In a damning part of the testimony, Mendoza revealed that a driver named "Toks," identified as Garma’s personal driver and bodyguard, was also deeply involved in the assassination plot. “Toks coordinated with my informant, Nelson Mariano, providing detailed information about Gen. Barayuga’s movements on the day of the murder. He gave all the details necessary to carry out the hit,” Mendoza stated.
Mendoza said the plot began in October 2019, when Police Col. Edilberto Leonardo contacted him about a "special project" involving the elimination of Barayuga, who was allegedly involved in illegal drug activities.
Mendoza said that despite his initial hesitation, he was pressured into agreeing to the plan because the order had come directly from Garma, then PCSO General Manager and a former PNP official.
“Sinabi ni Colonel Leonardo na ang pagsasagawa ng proyektong ito ang magdidikta sa direksyon ng aking karera bilang isang pulis,” said Mendoza in his sworn statement.
“Your Honor, hindi ko maiwasan na maiyak kasi tinuring ko silang mga upperclass tapos ang taas ng tingin ko sa kanila, eh binigyan ako ng trabaho na masakit sa dibdib eh,” Mendoza replied.
“Ano po ‘yong masakit sa dibdib Col. Mendoza?” Luistro asked.
“Binigyan po ako ng trabaho ng mga upperclass ko na ikakasira ng buhay ko,” Mendoza said.
“And why do you believe na ang trabahong ito ay ikakasira ngayon ng buhay mo?” Luistro asked again.
“Eh kasi po pumatay kami ng inosente eh,” the police officer responded
“Pumatay kayo ng inosente? And can you please state for the record sino ‘yong inosenteng tao na pinatay mo, pinatay niyo?” Luistro asked.
“Si Sir Wesley Barayuga po,” Mendoza answered.
He also noted that Garma had allegedly provided personal knowledge of Barayuga's supposed illegal activities, making it difficult for him to refuse the assignment.
Further details reveal that the plot to kill Barayuga was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, which restricted movement and government operations.
However, the plan resumed in June 2020, when Leonardo followed up with Mendoza, stressing the urgency of the mission.
“Matapos lumuwag ang mga lockdown measures at restrictions, muling nakipag-ugnayan sa akin si Colonel Leonardo noong Hunyo 2020 at binigyang-diin ang kahalagahan ng proyekto, lalo na't matagal na ang lumipas mula sa kanyang paunang utos,” he said.
“Sa kanyang panghihikayat, sumang-ayon ako na muling kausapin si Nelson Mariano upang alamin kung may nahanap na siyang taong angkop para sa itinakdang gawain,” Mendoza added.
Mariano is an informant of the PNP who allegedly knows people who can undertake the assassination.
According to Mendoza, Mariano was responsible for hiring the hitman, identified only as "Loloy."
“Sinabi niya na maaasahan si 'Loloy' at kayang tapusin ang ibinigay na gawain,” he said.
The most damning part of Mendoza's affidavit accuses Garma of direct involvement in facilitating the assassination.
Mendoza stated that Garma herself provided a photograph of Barayuga during a PCSO meeting to aid the hitmen in identifying the target.
“Sinabi rin ni Colonel Leonardo na hindi na kami mahihirapan sa pagsasagawa ng operasyon dahil nag-isyu na si Ma'am Garma ng isang service vehicle para gamitin ni Wesley Barayuga, at binigay sa akin ang deskripsyon at plate number ng sasakyan,” he said in his sworn statement.
“Sinabi niya na maaari na naming tirahin si Wesley Barayuga pagkatapos niyang lumabas sa gusali. Ipinasa ko ang lahat ng impormasyong ito kay Nelson Mariano,” he added.
Following the successful assassination of Barayuga, Mendoza alleged that Garma had authorized a payment of P300,000 to the operatives involved in the hit, with the money being distributed by a middleman named "Toks."
Mendoza claims he received P40,000 as his share of the payment, and further alleged that the operation was conducted under the supervision of both Garma and Col. Leonardo.
“Matapos na matagumpay na naisagawa ang operasyon, ipinaalam sa akin ni PCOL Leonardo na si Ma'am Garma ay nagbigay ng P300,000 bilang kabayaran para sa aming trabaho at ito ay iaabot ni ‘Toks’ sa aking middleman na si Nelson Mariano,” he said.
“At nang magkita kami ni Nelson, ay inabot niya sa akin ang halagang P40,000 bilang aking bahagi sa kabayaran,” he added.
The affidavit ends with Mendoza stating that his testimony was given voluntarily, without coercion or payment, and for the purpose of legal proceedings.
"Isinagawa ko ang salaysay na ito upang patunayan ang katotohanan ng mga nabanggit na pangyayari," he said.
Pimentel highlighted how Barayuga’s assassination came just days before he was set to testify about corruption in STL operations.
“The timing of the murder shows the motive. Barayuga was about to expose PCSO corruption in its STL operations, and suddenly, he is gunned down. The killers knew they had to act fast to protect their racket,” said Pimentel.
Pimentel’s inquiries uncovered that the assassination was meticulously planned, with Mendoza recruiting Mariano to hire Mariano, a known hitman, known only as ‘Loloy,’ who was willing to carry out the assassination for P300,000. The money, according to Col. Mendoza, came directly from Col. Garma,” said Pimentel, further illustrating Garma’s involvement in the crime.
The P300,000 payment was distributed to various operatives involved in the murder, with Mariano admitting that he personally kept P40,000 while the rest went to the hitman. "It is clear that this was a well-funded and coordinated effort to eliminate Gen. Barayuga and prevent him from exposing corruption within the PCSO," Pimentel added.
The motive behind Barayuga’s killing was directly tied to his role in an ongoing investigation led by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) into illegal activities within the PCSO, particularly the Small Town Lottery operations.
Pimentel pointed out that Barayuga was set to reveal critical documents and testify before the NBI just days before his murder.
“General Barayuga was prepared to expose the illegal practices within PCSO. He had all the documents and evidence needed to implicate several individuals. That’s why they had him killed,” Pimentel stated emphatically. “This murder wasn’t just about silencing one man; it was about protecting a web of corruption at the expense of justice and accountability.”
Pimentel didn’t mince words during the hearing, calling for swift justice.
“Mr. Chair, the facts are clear. Col. Garma and Col. Leonardo masterminded the murder of Gen. Barayuga. This committee must recommend that the appropriate murder charges be filed against these individuals. We cannot allow these heinous acts to go unpunished,” he urged, addressing the House Quad Committee Chair.
Pimentel also cited Garma’s troubling record during her tenure in Cebu, where numerous extrajudicial killings occurred. “This is not the first time Col. Garma has been linked to killings. There were over 198 killings in Cebu City under her watch, and now we have this clear case of her involvement in the murder of Gen. Barayuga,” Pimentel stated, underscoring the need for further investigation into Garma’s role in other suspicious deaths.
Police colonel alleges ex-PCSO GM Garma ordered murder of PCSO official in 2020
An active lieutenant colonel of the Philippine National Police has alleged that former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Officer (PCSO) General Manager Royina Garma ordered the assassination of a fellow PCSO official in 2020.
In a sworn statement, Police Lt. Col. Santie Fuentes Mendoza – an active member of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group – has made shocking revelations about Garma, accusing her of ordering the murder of former police general Wesley Barayuga who was the PCSO board secretary at the time of the killing.
Garma was implicated by at least four Quad Comm resource persons as the individual who reportedly relayed instructions to execute three suspected Chinese drug lords inside the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in 2016, at the onset of the previous administration’s bloody drug war.
The killings implicated former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte who allegedly congratulated Supt. Gerardo Padilla, the former warden of the Davao Prison and Penal Farm, through a phone call after self-confessed hitmen Leopoldo “Tata” Tan Jr. and Fernando “Andy” Magdadaro murdered three suspected Chinese drug lords Chu Kin Tung, Li Lan Yan and Wong Meng Pin inside the prison.
The killings of the Chinese prisoners, as corroborated by several witnesses, are cited as evidence of the widespread extrajudicial killings (EJK) linked to the controversial anti-drug campaign.
Mendoza's affidavit details a chain of events that purportedly led to the execution of Barayuga, perpetrated in broad daylight in Mandaluyong City in 2020.
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