(BERNARD TAGUINOD)

PINASASAMPAHAN na ng lead chairman ng Quad Committee ng kasong murder sa Department of Justice (DOJ) sina dating Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager at ret. Police Colonels Royina Garma at Edilberto Leonardo kaugnay sa pagpatay kay ret. Police Gen. Wesley Barayuga noong 2020.

Ayon kay Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, hindi na kailangang hintayin ng DOJ na matapos ang Quad Comm hearing sa Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), Illegal Drugs at Extra-judicial killings (EJK) bago sampahan ng kaso ang dalawang nabanggit na opisyal.

“We are in close coordination with the DOJ. They have representatives monitoring our hearings precisely because we are unearthing evidence of criminal activities and other acts of wrongdoing in the course of our inquiry. They should interview our two witnesses last Friday and assess their testimonies,” ayon kay Barbers.

Ang tinutukoy ng mambabatas ay sina Police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza ng Philippine National Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) at Nelson Mariano na umamin sa Quad Comm hearing na sila ang trumabaho para patayin si Barayuga sa utos umano nina Garma at Leonardo.

Sa imbestigasyon ng Quad Comm noong Biyernes, sinabi Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop na pinatay si Barayuga dahil tinututulan nito ang plano ni Garma na palawakin pa ang small-town lottery (STL) operation at bigyan ng STL franchise ang mga police official na dikit kay dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte.

“That was the real motive. They just made it appear that Atty. Barayuga was involved in drugs. He was a victim of the war on drugs. He was a simple man. He rode public transportation and brought his ‘baon’ to his office,” ani Acop dahil matapos likidahin ang miyembro ng Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Matikas Class of 1983 ay isinama ang pangalan nito sa drug list ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

“The exchange of messages via Viber and the supposed photo of Barayuga taken by Garma during their PCSO meeting will strengthen the case against Garma and Leonardo,” ayon pa kay Barbers.