Washington: 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 announced on Monday. Speaking to reporters at the Department of Justice (DOJ), lawyer Emerito Quilang disclosed that his client filed for asylum in November 2024 following her arrest in the US due to a canceled visa.
According to Philippines News Agency, Quilang mentioned that another lawyer is handling Garma's asylum case. He stated, "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." He further explained that the outcome of the asylum proceedings could either result in Garma's release from detention or potential extradition, should the US government deny her application.
Quilang also revealed plans to file a counter affidavit on May 2, denying Garma's involvement 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 charged Garma and several others with murder and frustrated murder before the DOJ, linked to the July 2020 assassination of Barayuga. A referral letter to Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon from the NBI mentioned "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).
The charges also included 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, implicating Garma and Leonardo as the masterminds in the ambush that resulted in Barayuga's death near the PCSO main office in Mandaluyong City on July 30, 2020.
