By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Members of the Philippine Military Academy’s “Matikas” Class of 1983 praised the leaders and members of the Lower House’s Quad Committee today for their legislative inquiry that identified the alleged masterminds and perpetrators in the murder of their “Mistah” Wesley Barayuga on July 30, 2020, in Mandaluyong City.

Ret. Air Force Col. Enrique J. Dela Cruz, president of PMA Class 1983, said Quadcom’s persistent efforts and incisive questioning have shed light and hope on the resolution of Barayuga’s tragic assassination four years ago.

“Your service and commitment to deliver justice and uphold righteousness give us confidence that our nation is represented by wise, courageous, and honorable individuals. While it may not bring our dear Wesley back, it is reassuring to know that there are people in government working diligently to bring the perpetrators to justice,” Dela Cruz stated.

“On behalf of the family of our dear Mistah, we also convey our profound gratitude for identifying the assailants,” he added.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, overall leader of the House Quad Committee and chair of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, expressed his gratitude to the members of the PMA Matikas Class of 1983 for their trust in the committee.

“First of all, I thank the PMA Class 1983 members for their confidence in the Quadcom leaders and members. On behalf of Quadcom, I assure you that we will investigate Wesley’s case thoroughly and ensure that all those who conspired in his murder are punished under applicable laws,” the lawmaker from Mindanao stated.

During the 7th Quadcom hearing last Friday at the Lower House in Quezon City, active-duty Police Lt. Col. Santie Fuentes Mendoza and civilian anti-drug “asset” Nelson Mariano testified that former PCSO general manager Royina Garma and Napolcom Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo planned and funded Barayuga’s assassination.

Barayuga, a lawyer, retired police general, and former PCSO Board Secretary, was shot four times at close range by one of two gunmen on motorcycles at the corner of Calbayog and Malinaw Streets in Barangay Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City, while on his way home from his PCSO office at Shaw Boulevard around 4 PM on July 30, 2020. His driver, who was also shot in the stomach, survived the attack.

Under incisive questioning by lawmakers, Mendoza detailed how Barayuga’s assassination was orchestrated, promising reward money and a “good trajectory” in his police career.

Mendoza’s statement was corroborated by Mariano, who claimed a P300,000 reward, supposedly from the PCSO, was offered for the killing. The split was P40,000 for Mendoza, P60,000 for Mariano, and P200,000 for the two gunmen, one of whom was identified only as “Loloy.”

Barayuga was appointed PCSO board secretary on January 24, 2018. Ret. P/Gen. Anselmo Pinili, also a member of PMA “Matikas” Class of 1983, was appointed PCSO chairman of the board on the same date.

Both Barayuga and Pinili served under their PMA classmate Maj. Gen. Alexander Balutan, who was PCSO general manager at the time. Balutan, appointed as PCSO GM on September 13, 2016, was unceremoniously dismissed by then-President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on March 8, 2019, and replaced by Col. Garma, who had 10 years left before retirement, on July 15, 2019.

At the time of Barayuga’s assassination, Ret. Army Gen. Eduardo Año, also a member of the PMA Class of 1983, was the sitting Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), which put pressure on him to work towards resolving their ‘mistah’s” death.

Of the 198 PMA Class 1983 graduates, 69 were assigned to the Philippine Army, 65 to the Philippine Constabulary, 29 to the Philippine Navy, and 30 to the Philippine Air Force. Six attended various U.S. Service Academies, and four became AFP chiefs of staff.

On October 7, 2020, members of the PMA Matikas Class of 1983 placed an ad in a major newspaper offering a P1 million reward for information leading to the arrest of those involved in Barayuga’s murder.

The House leadership, led by Speaker Martin Romualdez of Leyte, created the Quad Committee—the first of its kind in the chamber’s history—to unite four House panels: Dangerous Drugs (led by Barbers), Human Rights (led by Manila 6th District Rep. Benny Abante), Public Order and Safety (chaired by Abang Lingkod Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano), and Public Accounts (chaired by Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez)—as they were separately investigating POGOs, EJKs, and illegal drugs with similar resources and interrelated subjects.

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