Passport of Garma, 4 others to be canceled

MANILA, Philippines —  A Mandaluyong court has ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to cancel the passports of retired police colonel Royina Garma, former National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo and three others in connection with the murder of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board secretary Wesley Barayuga in 2020.

The Regional Trial Court Branch 279 also issued a hold-departure order against Garma, Leonardo and their co-accused Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza, former police officer Nelson Mariano and Jeremy Causapin.

In the same four-page order, the court denied the motion filed by Garma and Leonardo to suspend proceedings, and instructed that Mendoza and Mariano remain under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation.

Both Mendoza and Mariano, who were arrested in connection with Barayuga’s killing, pleaded not guilty through their counsel Raymund Palad. The court set the pre-trial conference on Nov. 12.

Garma is facing charges of murder and frustrated murder for allegedly masterminding Barayuga’s killing. She was deported from the United States in September after her asylum plea was denied.

Her whereabouts are unknown. Garma left the country for Singapore last month to meet with personnel of the International Criminal Court. She is expected to testify against Rodrigo Duterte before the ICC.