Palace to support filing of raps vs. ex-Napolcom commissioner Leonardo

Malacañang said it would support the filing of criminal and administrative charges against resigned National Police Commission (Napolcom) Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, who is being linked to the murder of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Wesley Barayuga.

''The Palace will support the filing but will leave the decision to file entirely to the (Department of  Justice) or Ombudsman,'' Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a short statement on Monday.

To recall, House dangerous drugs panel chair and Surigao del Norte Representative Ace Barbers said Leonardo and retired police colonel Royina Garma should be slapped with murder charges in connection with Barayuga's assassination.

At the time of the Barayuga’s death, Garma was the PCSO general manager while Leonardo was a commissioner of the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM).

Leonardo resigned from his post after he was cited in contempt by the House Quad Committee for allegedly lying.

Garma and Leonardo both denied having knowledge of the kill plot on Barayuga.

Also, Leonardo was earlier ordered detained at the premises of the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City after he denied that a meeting took place ahead of the killing of three Chinese drug convicts at the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in August 2016.

The meeting supposedly took place at the Davao City Criminal Investigation and Detection Group office and attended by then-Davao Prison and Penal Farm chief Gerardo Padilla and Garma.

Leonardo maintained that no such meeting took place. —RF, GMA Integrated News