MANILA – Former Iloilo City police director and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Atty. Wesley Barayuga who was ambushed last week was in President Rodrigo Duterte’s “narco list”, according to National Capital Region Police Office chief, Major General Debold Sinas.
“We are checking kung active pa ba ‘yung list na ‘yun if it had something to do with the shooting,” said Sinas.
Barayuga was ambushed at the corner of Calbayog and Malinaw streets in Mandaluyong City after leaving his office at around 4:35 p.m. on July 30.
According to Mandaluyong police chief Police Colonel Hector Grajaldo, a closed-circuit television camera captured the assassination.
“The scope ng investigation hindi lang limited sa Mandaluyong police. We’re tapping other law enforcement units, ‘yung CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) po natin, ‘yung NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) and other law enforcement agencies na makatulong upang ma-solve po itong kaso,” said Grijaldo.
A motorcycle-riding man drove beside Barayuga’s car and started shooting.
Investigators were looking into old grudge and Barayuga’s work as possible motive.
“May mga aprubado at hindi aprubadong prangkisa doon sa mga gambling operations, ‘yung may authority na pino-provide po ng PCSO. Mayroon pong mga gambling operators na nag-file ng kaso batay sa impormasyon na nakuha namin,” said Grajaldo.
Barayuga was Iloilo City Police Office director for two years from 2006 to 2008. He later became deputy regional director for operations of the Police Regional Office 6.
In 2012 Barayuga led the regional police’s Task Force Armas that went after gun owners who failed to renew their firearms’ licenses.
In 2013, Barayuga held a general position in Camp Crame as executive officer for the Directorate for Logistics./PN
