Barbers: Grijaldo liable over Barayuga slay cover up

Police Colonel Hector Grijaldo is liable for the cover up on the real reason behind the 2020 murder offormer Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Board Secretary retired police general Wesley Barayuga, according to House Quad Committee (QuadComm) lead chairperson Ace Barbers.

Barbers made the conclusion by citing Grijaldo’s answers to the queries of the QuadComm members on Tuesday which he said did not fully explain as to the circumstances of Barayuga’s death.

That's despite Grijaldo being police chief of Manadaluyong where the murder of Barayuga took place.

“Isang malaking tanong kasi na hindi naman niya nasagot, kung bakit gumawa siya ng report niya si General Barayuga ay involved sa drugs. Kasi ‘yun ang nasa report nila. Sabi niya, nagkaroon muna ng pagkakataon na yung kanilang station ang nag-investigate before the district created the SITG, the bigger investigation. So, meron silang nilagay na personal grudge and work-related," Barbers said.

“So obviously, meron ginawang pagkatakip because during that time, it seems that killing a drug personality was the norm. That is my opinion,” he added.

When asked by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Lordan Suan if he was the one who included the intel that Barayuga is involved in the illegal drug trade in the SITG Resolution on the Barayuga slay, Grijaldo was not able to provide a categorical answer.

"Hindi ko na po ma ano 'yung napag-usapan dun, Your Honor, doon sa wrapping up...nung nagkaroon na, your Honor, ng Resolution 'yung SITG, I was already relieved as Chief of Police of Mandaluyong, Your Honor," Grijaldo, who was part of the SITG that investigated the Barayuga slay in his capacity as Mandaluyong City police chief, said.

Barbers, however, said the QuadComm has yet to identify Grijaldo’s specific criminal liability over the Barayuga slay.

“We are still studying what [criminal] charges pwede naming ma-recommend. Sa aming committee report, you will see,” Barbers said.

Contempt

Grijaldo is currently detained in Quezon City Police District Station 6 after he was cited in contempt by the QuadComm after he refused to answer lawmakers' questions during Tuesday's probe.

Since the QuadComm discussed the Barayuga case, authorities have reinvestigated the circumstances of his death.

During Tuesday’s QuadComm probe, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin also said that the NBI is eyeing filing criminal charges against perpetrators of the Barayuga murder in February this year.

“We are already wrapping up or we are concluding the investigation on the Barayuga murder and in about three weeks time we shall be filing our cases against those involved,” Lavin said.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Santi Mendoza had told the QuadComm that former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Royina Garma and National Police Commission (Napolcom) Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo ordered the killing of Barayuga.

Garma and Leonardo, however, both vehemently denied this.

—VAL, GMA Integrated News