Espenido gets death threats

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido, Albuera (Leyte) Police chief, yesterday disclosed to the media his life is now in danger these days.

Espenido was responsible for the filing of drug charges to a number of government officials and some journalists who were named by the late Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., as having links to the drug operations of his son, Kerwin Espinosa, the suspected drug lord in Eastern Visayas.

The police official told The Freeman that he has been receiving lately several death threats through text messages to his cell phone, and he hinted, without mentioning anyone, that these could be due to his work on pinning down those involved in drugs with the Espinosas.

“My family already raised fears and worries on me, and they already demanded me to tone down my work in the war against drugs. But I told them that I have to follow the mandate from my superiors in fearlessly enforcing the task given to me,” Espenido said.

Espenido said he has faith in God for protection, but added that he could not afford to get some help from the national headquarters of the PNP for security, while he continue his work in anti-drug operations, especially on those with links to Kerwin’s illegal activities. “My target is to finish my job and the drug problem in my area,” he said.

He also bared that he already shared information on his death threats to Chief Superintendent Elmer Beltejar, director of the Police Regional Office-8, based in Palo, Leyte. They kept the details of their talks under wraps however.

On August 23, after the mayor submitted the sworn affidavit to Espenido naming the personalities linked to Kerwin, Rogelio Bato Jr., the lawyer of the Espinosas and a female teenager companion were shot dead in Tacloban City.

There were unconfirmed reports that lawyer Bato was about to tell to the police who were the people involved in the Kerwin drug trade.

Mayor Espinosa, the source of the list of government officials and private individuals with links to Kerwin’s drug ring either as protectors or recipients of payola, was recently killed inside the Leyte Sub-Provincial Jail in Baybay City where he was detained for drug and guns charges.

Espenido, who was trying to secure the mayor from being killed to preserve him as a vital witness to the cases against the ‘narco’ officials and journalists, was dismayed of the incident. He did not believe that the mayor resisted and tried to shoot it out with the raiding team of the CIDG that was reportedly trying to serve a search warrant to the detained mayor for allegedly keeping a gun. 

Espenido and other policemen in the region and personalities in the government will be facing a Senate inquiry into the killing of Mayor Espinosa.

Meanwhile, three days after the Espinosa slay, PNP Chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa ordered CIDG-8 Regional Director Superintendent Superintendent Marvin Marcos to vacate his post, while the administrative proceedings and investigations on the incident are underway.

Beltejar, for his part, said the relief of Marcos is always part of the standard operating procedures when any members of the PNP is facing an investigation. The 21 policemen who were also part of the operation serving the search warrant are now under probe also. (FREEMAN)