Former PCSO GM Garma seeking US asylum, says lawyer
Former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office General Manager Royina Garma. Inquirer photo.
MANILA, Philippines — Former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office General Manager and retired Police Col. Royina Garma is seeking asylum in the United States, her lawyer said Monday.
Garma was arrested and detained in San Francisco, California, in November last year.
READ: Royina Garma, daughter arrested, detained in California – DOJ
Atty. Emerito Quilang said Garma immediately applied for asylum in the US the same month she was arrested.
“I am not privy to the things happening there (US) in the asylum. What I know is that the asylum was set for initial hearing on April 2, but it was canceled and there is no setting yet,” Quilang told reporters.
Asylum is a protection given to an individual with a well-founded fear of persecution in his or her home country.
Murder case
Quilang attended the preliminary investigation before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the murder and frustrated murder cases filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against his client for the death of PCSO Board Secretary Wesley Barayuga.
Quilang said the deadline for the filing of the counter-affidavit is set on May 2.
He said they will be ready on May 2.
“We are ready with the counter-affidavit but we want to avail of that last day which is May 2. We would be putting our defenses, of course, our defense is she does not have any participation,” Quilang said.
Philippine authorities are investigating Garma for her alleged involvement in the Barayuga’s murder.
During the House Quad Committee (QuadComm) hearing, Police Lieutenant Colonel Santie Mendoza of the PNP-Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-PDEG) and police informant Nelson Mariano accused Garma and National Police Commission (Napolcom) commissioner Edilberto Leonardo of ordering the kill job on Barayuga for his alleged links to illegal drug trade but later turned out to be a disagreement over PCSO game Perya ng Bayan.
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.
