By Jennifer P. Rendon
A witness has come forward more than four years after the murder of a former Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director, Atty. Wesley Barayuga, a retired police general.
The witness claims the killing was orchestrated by former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma and retired Colonel, now National Police Commission (Napolcom) commissioner, Edilberto Leonardo.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Santi Mendoza, now assigned to the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) headquarters, made these allegations during a congressional hearing on the war on drugs on Friday, September 27.
Barayuga was the PCSO board secretary when he was killed on July 30, 2020, in Mandaluyong City. Garma was the PCSO general manager.
Barayuga was a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1983, while Garma and Leonardo graduated from the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Classes of 1997 and 1998, respectively.
The murder happened on the pretext of Barayuga having links to the drug trade, but the hearing revealed that the motive was his plan to expose corruption in the PCSO under Garma, who is said to be a favorite of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
During the congressional hearing, Mendoza testified about the roles of Garma and Leonardo in Barayuga’s murder.
Allegations of a ‘Special Project’
In October 2019, Mendoza, then a police major assigned to the Office of the Deputy Chief PNP for Administration, said Leonardo approached him about a “special project” involving a high-value individual suspected of involvement in illegal drug activities. Leonardo allegedly sought his help in carrying out the operation.
“At the time, I hesitated and told him I needed to think it over before accepting the assignment,” Mendoza testified.
However, Leonardo allegedly insisted, telling Mendoza he needed to be ready when the operation was given the green light. “He further stated that the execution of this project would determine the direction of my career as a police officer,” Mendoza added.
By February 2020, Leonardo followed up, providing additional details and naming Barayuga as the target. According to Mendoza, Leonardo claimed Barayuga was involved in illegal drug activities.
Despite his reluctance to act against a government official, Mendoza said he felt compelled to follow through, given the directive came from Leonardo, his upperclassman, and from Garma, a cabinet official.
“I was worried about what would happen to my career, my life, and my family if I refused the order,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza began preparing for the operation by recruiting a suitable person for the task, reaching out to former informant Nelson Mariano.
However, before any action could be taken, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, resulting in strict lockdown measures that made it difficult to proceed.
During the interpellation of Mendoza, Surigao del Sur 2nd District Rep. Johnny Pimentel said linking Barayuga to the drug trade was just a pretext or front to his murder as he was ready to testify to alleged corruption in the PCSO under Garma’s tenure.
Pimentel also alleged that the SUV which carried Barayuga when he was killed had been given to him by Garma so that he would be easier to identify once the assassination plot was carried out.
Operation Resumes Post-Lockdown
When restrictions eased in June 2020, Leonardo contacted Mendoza again, emphasizing the importance of the project. Mendoza then instructed Mariano to continue preparing for the operation. Mendoza testified that Leonardo gave him further instructions, including details about Barayuga’s schedule and the service vehicle issued by Garma, which Barayuga used.
Mendoza claimed Leonardo informed him that Garma had provided P300,000 as payment for the operation. Toks, an alleged associate of Garma from the CIDG, was to deliver the money to Mariano. Mendoza received P40,000 as his share.
After Barayuga’s death, his remains were brought to Iloilo. Notably, no PCSO employee accompanied his body when it arrived at Iloilo International Airport.
Garma and Leonardo all denied the accusations during the quad-committee hearing on the war on drugs, extrajudicial killigns, and POGO operations.
Bounty and Unresolved Case
Barayuga’s PMA Class of 1983 offered a P1 million reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for his murder.
A native of Nueva Ecija, Barayuga’s family had settled in Iloilo province.
He was on his way home from his office in Mandaluyong City when he was shot by a motorcycle-riding gunman. CCTV footage showed the lone gunman carrying out the attack.
More than two months after the incident, the case remained unsolved, prompting his classmates from PMA Class 1983 to pool funds to expedite the investigation.
Among his classmates were then-Interior Secretary Eduardo Año and three former military chiefs.
Family Defends Barayuga
Following the murder, Barayuga’s niece, Mikee Nazal, refuted reports linking him to illegal drugs. In a Facebook post, Nazal expressed her frustration over the baseless claims.
“The NBI later stated that Tito was cooperating as a witness in investigations into corruption at the PCSO. It’s not difficult to connect the dots,” she wrote, defending Barayuga’s integrity and track record.
Nazal also criticized the reports about Barayuga’s alleged inclusion in a “narco-list,” calling them slanderous.
“My tito was a good man, and he was killed by evil people. He died unjustly. The years he could have lived were stolen from him and his family,” she added.
Classmates Defend Barayuga’s Honor
Members of PMA Class 1983 also rejected claims that Barayuga was involved in illegal drugs. In a statement, they said, “Wesley was never on any list before. Sinas must explain where he got that so-called list. Wesley was a simple man with integrity and honor.”
The group said Barayuga even commuted to work using public transportation until the pandemic forced him to use a service vehicle. “He was never involved in drugs, not at any period of his entire career.”
Barayuga had planned to resign before the pandemic to spend more time with his family in Iloilo but was requested by the PCSO chairman to stay on.
Sinas’s Claims
Despite the denial from Barayuga’s family and classmates, then-NCRPO Chief Police Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas claimed Barayuga was on the President’s “narco-list.” However, Sinas provided no additional evidence to support his claim.
Sinas was later appointed as chief of the Philippine National Police.
