MANILA, Philippines — Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido, the controversial police official who led a bloody operation against members of an influential family allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade, is reportedly among 357 police officers under investigation for illegal drugs.
A source, who requested anonymity, said Espenido was among the police officials suspected of involvement in illegal drugs who were at a meeting called by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Archie Gamboa.
“He (Espenido) is included in that group,” the source said.
Gamboa has repeatedly refused to comment when asked asked by journalists if Espenido is on the list, as he explained those under investigation are still presumed innocent.
Espenido was relieved from his post last week as deputy chief for operations and head of the drug enforcement units of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO).
The relief order was issued by Maj. Gen. Cesar Hawthorne Binag, chief of the directorial staff. Espenido was reassigned to the Office of the Chief PNP at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
The source did not go into details on the specific allegations against Espenido, who gained prominence in President Duterte’s anti-drug campaign after he led an operation against members of the Parojinog family in Ozamiz City last July 2017.
Fifteen people, including then Ozamiz mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., were killed in alleged shootouts. Among those arrested was former vice mayor Nova Princess Parojinog.
Espenido did not comment when asked about his inclusion in the list.
Optional retirement
Included in the list of 15 police officials under investigation for alleged links in the illegal drug trade is a one-star general who opted to retire early.
In an interview over CNN Philippines on Tuesday, Gamboa said a star-rank officer, or a brigadier general, is the highest-ranking officer who availed himself of optional retirement.
The one-star general is among the 357 police officers relieved from their posts.
The PNP chief has refused to divulge the names and even a breakdown of the ranks of the police officers who are under probe, stressing they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said there are two police generals on the list.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Gamboa said the police officials who are thinking of retiring early should decide quickly as the adjudication process will start on Thursday.
“Once the process starts, then we will not accept any more optional retirements,” he said in an interview at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Gamboa has offered the police officials the option to retire early to save the PNP from shame and reduce their workload.
“I am open for optional retirement of those who are involved,” he said.
A mystery
The alleged inclusion of Espenido in the so-called drug watch list is a mystery to his former colleagues assigned in Western Visayas.
Lt. Col. Ariel Pico, spokesman for the BCPO, yesterday said that they have no idea as to the source of allegations that Espenido is involved in the illegal drug trade.
Pico, however, admitted that the assignment of Espenido to the BCPO boosted their anti-illegal drug campaign, as he was able to facilitate the surrender of so many drug personalities, aside from the arrest of some high-value drug personalities, and recovery of suspected shabu worth millions of pesos.
He also admitted that Espenido was being linked to several incidents of drug-related killings in Bacolod City but this remains an allegation not backed up by evidence.
Even the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 was surprised by the abrupt relief of Espenido from the BCPO.
Lt. Col. Joem Malong, spokesman for PRO 6, yesterday said that they are not authorized to issue a statement, except for the PNP national headquarters.
Malong earlier said they have no idea why Espenido was relieved.
Espenido’s relief, however, was not a surprise for Negros Occidental Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, who said police officials come and go in their assignments if there are orders from Camp Crame.
Ferrer is not inclined to believe that Espenido’s relief would have an effect on the ongoing anti-drug campaign of BCPO.
He recalled that the BCPO achieved numerous accomplishments in the campaign against illegal drugs even when Espenido was on vacation for more than a month.
All hype?
Before Espenido assumed the BCPO drug czar post in late October 2019, information came out that he was allegedly just assigned to the region for political reasons.
Espenido allegedly exited the Ozamiz City Police Station following a spat with its local elective officials. He then went on to lead the BCPO City Drug Enforcement Unit.
By the end of the year, BCPO emerged as the top performing police office in Western Visayas when it comes to anti-illegal drugs operations and the volume of drugs confiscated.
Records showed that BCPO seized P73,031,459.20 worth of illegal drugs from January to December 2019. The figure includes 6,083.026 grams of shabu valued at P72,996,312 and 152.8139 grams of marijuana worth P35,147.20.
However, a reliable source who asked not to be named said that Espenido only led two anti-illegal drug operations that happened in January 2020.
Both main targets of such operations apparently evaded arrest. One of the two operations confiscated around 10 grams of suspected shabu but no one in the BCPO hierarchy could confirm such reports, opting to refrain from commenting further on Espenido’s relief.
Aside from Espenido, also relieved from the PRO 6 was Lt. Col. Mannan Muarip, chief of the Regional Headquarters Support Unit 6 (RHSU-6) based in Camp Martin Delgado, Iloilo.
“I, for one, am waiting for the reason of their relief,” Brig. Gen. Rene Pamuspusan, Western Visayas police chief, said.
But another anonymous source upheld the fact that the 15 police officials were called only for adjudication.
“All of those who were relieved were on the PRRD list. They were taken out of post for adjudication purposes. It’s good for them to clear themselves if indeed they have nothing to do with illegal drugs,” he said.
Espenido had made quite a name for himself in Ozamiz City, where he led the “neutralization” of the Parojinog group.
But some quarters disputed the reports, citing that it was a different unit that led the Parojinog raid and Espenido merely supported and, later on, filed cases against the suspects.
Malacañang vowed to look into the reports of Espenido’s inclusion in the government’s narco list.
“If it is officially received by the Office of the President, the President will investigate,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a chance interview yesterday.
Espenido was the police chief of Ozamiz when its mayor, Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., his wife Susan, his brother, board member Octavio Parojinog Jr., and sister Mona were killed in an anti-drug operation in 2017. He was also the police chief of Albuera, Leyte when its mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. was killed inside his prison cell in November 2016. – With Gilbert Bayoran, Jennifer Rendon, Alexis Romero