PNP, NBI to conduct joint investigation on Wesley Barayuga case

The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will conduct a joint investigation into the killing of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Wesley Barayuga, a police official said Thursday.

PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III said this is on the orders of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.

"Sa ngayon ang guidance ni SOJ diyan is this will not be a parallel investigation anymore between the PNP and the NBI but a joint investigation,” Torre said in an ambush interview.

(Right now, the guidance of SOJ is that this will not be a parallel investigation anymore between the PNP and the NBI but a joint investigation.)

He issued the remark hours before the scheduled conference of the PNP, NBI, and Department of Justice (DOJ) on the case of Barayuga.

In September, PNP chief General Rommel Marbil ordered the CIDG to reopen the investigation into Barayuga's death.

This came after testimonies of Police Lieutenant Colonel Santie Mendoza of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-PDEG) and police informant Nelson Mariano before the House of Representatives Quad Committee (QuadComm).

The two accused then-PCSO General Manager Royina Garma and then-Napolcom commissioner Edilberto Leonardo of ordering the kill job on Barayuga. Both Garma and Leonardo have denied the allegation.

Torre said that they will discuss during the case conference on whether they will adopt the statements made by Mendoza.

"'Pag dedesisyonan na lang mamaya whether we will adopt this statement in total na ginawa sa Congress or [whether] we will wait [for] another affidavit with similar contents," he said.

(We will decide later whether we will adopt this statement in total that was made in the Congress or whether we will wait for another affidavit with similar contents.)

Barayuga’s widow is expected to file a murder complaint against Garma and others over the killing of her husband. Barayuga’s driver will also file a complaint for frustrated murder.

In a separate ambush interview, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said is eyeing to communicate with Barayuga’s family to get their side.

"Of course, we may have to call on the family, too, to give their comments on this investigation in what direction they want us to pursue," Remulla said.

"Kasi kinakailangan 'yung mga bereaved families should be given more attention at this time (What is needed is that the bereaved families should be given more attention at this time)," he added. — RSJ/VDV, GMA Integrated News