2 suspects in Barayuga slay surrender

MANILA, Philippines —  Two of five suspects in the 2020 killing of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Wesley Barayuga have surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Dismissed policeman Nelson Mariano turned himself in to the NBI Organized Transnational Crime Division on Monday.

Santie Mendoza surrendered on Tuesday to the NBI’s Iloilo office.

Mariano and Mendoza’s testimonies are valuable since they served as alleged middlemen with direct links to the masterminds, the NBI said.

Both suspects are being held at the NBI detention facility in Manila pending a court decision on where they will be committed.

A Mandaluyong court has issued warrants for the arrest of former PCSO general manager and retired police colonel Royina Garma, former National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo and police officer Jeremy Causapin for Barayuga’s murder.

Garma manhunt

The NBI will coordinate with International Police Organization or Interpol to hunt down Garma.

Garma flew to Malaysia on Sept. 7 to meet International Criminal Court officials for a possible testimony against detained former president Rodrigo Duterte.

NBI Director Jaime Santiago said yesterday that he could not contact Garma.

“I’m trying to contact her since the arrest warrant was issued, but she’s not answering,” Santiago said.

If Garma does not return to the Philippines, Santiago said the NBI would seek the assistance of the Interpol.

Garma is the “highest-ranking police officer” who can offer a clear narrative of how the reward system worked during Duterte’s war on drugs, the Department of Justice has said.