Who can be charged for crime of the century?

October 18, 2024

MANILA – With the explosive revelations coming out of the House of Representatives’ quad committee hearings, who can be charged and for what crimes, so far?

There were seven murders that have been either confessed or mentioned in the investigation. These are the murder of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Wesley Barayuga in 2020, the brutal killings of the three drug lords inside a Davao prison in 2016, and the assassination of Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili in 2018. There are also the undated killing of a Davao prison officer only identified as “Guinto,” and the killing of Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. in 2016.

Those who can be charged for the Barayuga murder are: (1) Police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza; (2) former cop Nelson Mariano; (3) assassin (unnamed so far) (4) former PCSO manager Royina Garma, and; (5) retired Police Col. Edilberto Leonardo. Mendoza and Mariano can apply to become state witnesses, because there is “absolute necessity for [their] testimon[ies]” to convict Garma and Leonardo. Mendoza and Mariano still need to testify in court, and their testimonies subjected to cross examination, in order to convict Garma and Leonardo.

Those who can be charged for the murder of the three drug lords are: (1) Garma; (2) Leonardo; (3) Police Executive Master Sergeant Arthur Narsolis; (4) prison officer Gerardo Padilla, and (5) former president Rodrigo Duterte. The two inmates who confessed to executing the killings have been convicted. Padilla testified that the killings were cleared by Duterte as relayed by Narsolis, and that Duterte personally called to congratulate him after the killings. Padilla could potentially qualify as state witness, freed from criminal liability, in