JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday said the Department of Justice will seek the cancellation of the passport of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma following the issuance of an arrest warrant against in relation to the killing of PCSO board secretary Wesley Barayuga in 2020.
At a press briefing, Remulla also said he would be meeting with National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago on the possibility of requesting a red notice from the Interpol to hasten Garma’s return to the country.
He said Garma and her co-accused will be considered as fugitives if they will not surrender to authorities despite the issuance of the arrest warrant against them.
‘Well, if you don’t surrender, that’s what will happen,’ Remulla said when asked if the respondents can now be considered as fugitives.
The DOJ chief added that the Philippine National Police (ONP) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) should already implement the arrest warrant against the accused.
Remulla also the DOJ will file a petition for the cancellation of Garma’s passport to force her to return to the country.
However, Remulla said Garma would likely return to the country since she has no other place to go following her deportation from the US.
‘I think she will come home, she has no nowhere else to go. She was refused asylum already in the US’ Remulla said.
It can be recalled that Garma was allowed to leave for Malaysia a day after returning to the country from Los Angeles, California, last September 6 following the denial of her application for political asylum.
Garma left as a tourist for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, according to the Bureau of Immigration, on September 7.
Garma was allowed to leave the country after the BI was able to verify that there was no hold departure order (HDO) or warrant of arrest issued against her.
Remulla later on disclosed that Garma has agreed to testify for the prosecution in connection with the crimes against humanity filed in the International Criminal Court against former President Rodrigo Duterte for his bloody anti-illegal drug war.
The DOJ secretary said that the denial of Garma’s bid for political asylum in the United States prompted her to agree to become one of the ICC prosecution’s witnesses against Duterte.
Remulla pointed to former senator Antonio Trillanes IV as the one who facilitated Garma’s inclusion as a prosecution witness against Duterte, who is currently detained at the ICC headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands, awaiting proceedings in connection with his case.
He said Garma left for Malaysia to meet with ICC representatives to prepare for her testimony in Duterte’s crimes against humanity case.
Aside from Garma, the arrest warrant issued by the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 279 also covers former National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, and police officials Jeremy Causapin, Santie Mendoza, and Nelson Mariano,
They are facing trial for murder and frustrated murder charges.
Barayuga was gunned down by a motorcycle-riding man shortly while on his way home from the PCSO central office in Mandaluyong City on July 30, 2020.
His driver survived the incident, thus filing of frustrated murder complaint against the respondents.