A police officer from the national police’s drug enforcement division came out on Friday with claimed specifics of a murder order that resulted in the killing of Wesley Barayuga, board secretary of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), in 2020.
PLtCol. Santi Mendoza testified before the House quad-committee examining extrajudicial deaths amid the Duterte administration’s drug campaign.
He described the alleged events following up to the assassination of Barayuga, who was killed inside a moving vehicle by an unidentified individual on a motorbike on July 30, 2020, in Mandaluyong City.
Mendoza involved then-PCSO general manager Royina Garma and Edilberto Leonardo, former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief in the Davao region, in the assassination conspiracy. He stated that he had been advised that Barayuga was a “high-value target” because of his alleged involvement with illegal substances.
The officer, who was distraught throughout his testimony, also described how he allegedly used his long-time source to hire a hitman. He went on to claim that they received P300,000 in prize money from Garma, which they divided among themselves.
During his interrogation of Mendoza, Surigao del Sur Second District Rep. Johnny Pimentel said, citing rumors, that Barayuga was “ready to testify” concerning alleged corrupt practices in the PCSO under the leadership of Garma.
The legislator further said that Garma gave him the SUV that transported Barayuga when he was assassinated so that he could be identified after the assassination operation was carried out.
Earlier in the proceedings and before Mendoza appeared, Garma denied assigning a vehicle to Barayuga or having any issues with him during their time at the PCSO. She also expressed surprise at Barayuga’s death.