By Benjamin Pulta
MANILA – Former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager and retired police colonel Royima Garma remains in detention in the United States and has applied for political asylum, her lawyer said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters at the Department of Justice (DOJ), lawyer Emerito Quilang said her client filed for asylum in November 2024 following her arrest in the US due to a canceled visa.
He said another lawyer is representing Garma in the asylum case.
“I’m not privy to the things happening there in the asylum (case). What I know is that the asylum was set for the initial hearing on April 2 but it was canceled and there is no setting yet,” Quilang said.
“If the setting for the hearing of the asylum will be heard, then we would not know what would be the decision of the US government. if they will grant (asylum), they will release her from detention. If not, most probably they will use extradition treaty or she may come back voluntarily,” he added.
Quilang said they will be filing a counter affidavit on May 2 denying her participation in the death of PCSO Board secretary Wesley Barayuga.
“Actually, we are ready with the counter affidavit today. But we want to avail of that last day which is May 2,” he said.
In February, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police filed murder and frustrated murder charges before the DOJ against Garma and several other individuals over the July 2020 assassination of Barayuga.
In a two-page referral letter to Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon, the NBI said “sufficient pieces of evidence were gathered to recommend murder and frustrated murder charges” against Garma, retired police colonel Edilberto Leonardo, and Jeremy Causapin (alias Toks).
Also recommended for inclusion in the charges were Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza, former police officer Nelson Mariano, a certain alias Lolo and several John Does.
Mendoza testified before the House of Representatives quad committee in September 2024 that Garma and Leonardo were the masterminds in the ambush that killed Barayuga near the PCSO main office in Mandaluyong City on July 30, 2020. (PNA)
