The testimonies of Police Lieutenant Colonel Santie Mendoza and former Corporal Nelson Mariano during the 7th Quad Committee hearing revealed a disturbing web of fear, corruption and terror that perpetuated the past administration. They testified that retired police chief Royina Garma and national police commissioner Edilberto Leonardo orchestrated the assassination of retired police general and former PCSO board secretary Atty. Wesley Barayuga in 2020.
According to their accounts, Garma and Leonardo, Mendoza’s upperclassmen at the PNP Academy, ordered them to find a hitman to kill Barayuga. These officers were led to believe they were participating in a legitimate anti-drug operation, with Leonardo and Garma portraying Barayuga
as a figure who had ties with illegal drug operations. The reality, however, was far more sinister.
As Cong. Pimentel noted during the hearing, Barayuga was about to expose corruption within the PCSO, implicating powerful individuals, including Garma, who served as PCSO’s General Manager at the time. Barayuga had been prepared to testify – ready to expose the rot – but he was silenced before the truth could be revealed.
Mendoza’s emotional opening statement at the hearing revealed the pressure and fear he endured. He spoke of the threats from high-ranking figures who demanded he sign an affidavit implicating other retired officers. And his regret was clear – he spoke about the heavy guilt he felt for being involved in the murder of an innocent man. Mendoza even admitted he was confused from the start – why on earth was a PCSO board secretary being targeted in an anti-drug operation? Garma herself said Barayuga was a kind-hearted colleague, someone she couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to harm.
When interpellated by Cong. Luistro, Mendoza laid bare the reasons as to why they had no choice but to follow orders. Not that it’s unclear – but it’s precisely because the instructions came from people who are close to Duterte. Defying them meant risking not only his life but the lives of his family. This, he said, was no secret within the police force. The names Leonardo and Garma were synonymous with Duterte and when they gave orders, resistance could mean death.
It all starts to make sense, doesn’t it? Why Garma, a former police officer with ten more years left in her law enforcement career, suddenly stepped down to be General Manager of PCSO which was already drowning in corruption scandals. This wasn’t just about career advancement. It’s clear now that Duterte trusted Garma to do whatever it took to protect certain interests
It’s terrifying how easily a life can be taken on the orders of powerful figures, without hesitation or question. Four gunshots, a fabricated story and a few words were all it took to end a life in the case of Barayuga to bury the truth.
