ROYINA Garma, the controversial former general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and retired police colonel, is seeking asylum in the United States (US).

Garma was arrested and detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection when she arrived in San Francisco, California on November 7 last year after failing to present a valid visa.

Interviewed by reporters during the preliminary investigation into Barayuga’s killing by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Garma’s legal counsel, Emerito Quilang, denied reports that her client was held in the US for money laundering.

Garma is facing murder charges in the Philippines after she was implicated in the killind of PCSO Board Secretary Wesley Barayuga on July 30, 2020.

“I am not privy to what’s happening there regarding her asylum application. What I know is that the initial hearing was set for April 2, but it was canceled, and no new date has been scheduled yet,” Quilang said in a Philippine Star report.

According to Quilang, Garma has a US-based lawyer handling her asylum case, while their camp will be filing a counter-affidavit through online means.

“Actually, we are ready with the counter-affidavit today. But we plan to use the last day, which is May 2, to finalize and submit our defenses. Our defense is that she had no participation in the killing of Barayuga,” Quilang said.(Lovely May Mutia, CTU-TC Intern)

• Tags
• #Royina Garma
• #Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office
• #PCSO
• #Asylum
• #United States
• #U.S. Customs and Border Protection
• #San Francisco California
• #Valid Visa
• #Money Laundering
• #Murder Charges