The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) told the House of Representatives that it will file next month criminal charges against the personalities behind the killing of retired police general and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Wesley Barayuga.

During the House quad-committee (quad-comm) Tuesday, Jan. 21, NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin said that the agency was already wrapping up and concluding its investigation into the July 2020 assassination of Barayuga.

"And in about three weeks time, we shall be filing our cases against those involved," Lavin told the quad-comm, which had been looking into the illegal drugs issue and cases of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the country during the previous Duterte administration.  

The NBI official says the agency is now only waiting for the results of the forensic examination on the gadgets turned over by Barayuga's wife to the NBI agent in Iloilo.

"These gadgets were brought to our main office for the examination and we should be ready with our reports in about two three weeks time your honor,” Lavin said when he was asked by the mega-panel's senior vice chairman and Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop.

In September 2024, the House quad-comm cracked Barayuga's assassination case when Police Lt. Col. Santi Mendoza disclosed details about the killing and implicated Colonels Royina Garma and Edilberto Leonardo.

Leonardo and Garma are among former police officers who are reportedly close to former president Rodrigo Duterte. The two have since become quad-comm witnessess.

Duterte appointed Leonardo as National Police Commission (Napolcom) commissioner and Garma as Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager after their retirement from police service.