Espinosa family worried over release of suspects

THE family of slain Albuera, Leyte mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. will file a motion for reconsideration at the Department of Justice which downgraded the murder charges against the 19 suspects in the killing.

Lawyer Leilani Villarino said nobody from their camp expected the DOJ decision on their case. “The family is worried,” Vilalrino said.

Judge Carlos Arguelles of the Regional Trial Court Branch 14 in Baybay City, Leyte, signed last Friday the release order of Marcos, the former chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Region 8 and his 18 co-accused.

The court set their bail at P40,000 each for two counts of homicide.

Marcos led the dawn raid that killed the Albuera mayor inside his cell at the Leyte sub-provincial jail in Baybay City on November 5, 2016.

Espinosa Sr. was the father of alleged drug lord Kerwin Espinosa. Last June 14, the DOJ downgraded the original charge of murder against Marcos and his co-accused to homicide after Marcos filed a motion to review the case.

“I’m still going to file my reconsideration (to) DOJ of its resolution for whatever its worth,” Villarino said.

Aside from Marcos, those who were released on bail included Sr. Insp. Deogracia Pedong Diaz III, Chief Insp. Calixto Canillas Jr., Insp. Lucresito Candelosas, Senior Police Officers (SPO) 2 Benjamin Dacallos and Antonio Docil.

Also released were SPO 1 Mark Christian Cadilo, Police Officer (PO) 3 Norman Abellanosa, POs 2 John Ruel Doculan and Jaime Bacsal, and PO1 Jerlan Cabiyaan, Supt. Santi Noel Matira, Chief Insp. Leo Daio Laraga, SPO4 Melvin Caboyit and PO3 Johnny Abuda Ibanez.