By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan | Philippine News Agency
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil on Tuesday ordered tight security for police officials who have information on the killing of retired police general and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Wesley Barayuga.
“I already ordered the DPRM (Directorate for Personnel Records and Management) to protect [Lt. Col. Santie] Mendoza. His life is in danger, and he will reveal more information,” Marbil said in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the turnover of office rites at the Police Regional Office (PRO) 3 headquarters in San Fernando City, Pampanga.
Mendoza is currently under restrictive custody in Camp Crame after he revealed during a hearing at the House of Representatives that he was ordered by former PCSO general manager Royina Garma and retired police colonel and now National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo to kill Barayuga.
Aside from Mendoza, Col. Hector Grijaldo, a former Mandaluyong City police chief, was also relieved and placed under restrictive custody for possible lapses in the investigation into Barayuga’s killing.
Marbil said he was saddened by Mendoza’s revelation.
“We are not happy because his death became a cold case and why he was included in the drug list when his name was not supposed to be there,” he said.
He vowed to file criminal charges against those involved in the killing and possible cover-up in the investigation, as he directed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to lead the reinvestigation.
“I don’t want our police to be used in activities like this. All of those who were involved in a possible cover-up will face the court. I want them all to land in jail,” he added.
During the House hearing, Mendoza said it was Leonardo who tasked him to eliminate Barayuga and told him that the reason was that the latter was on a drug watchlist.
He later said that Garma appeared to have set up the killing after Barayuga was provided with a service vehicle.
Barayuga was a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1983. One of his classmates was former Interior Secretary and now National Security Adviser Eduardo Año.
Reports showed that a motorcycle-riding gunman shot Barayuga, who was inside his car on Calbayog St. in Barangay Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City in July 2020.