Cop in Espinosa raid who called Soco refuses to turn over phone

Policemen led by Supt. Marvin Marcos (left), Chief Insp. Leo Laraga and Supt. Santi Noel Matira testify before the Senate investigation on the death of Albuera, Leyte, Mayor Rolando Espinosa. (Inquirer.net)

The cop, who called the scene of the crime operatives (Soco) even before Albuera, Leyte, Mayor Rolando Espinosa was killed, has refused to surrender his cellular phone to his superiors.

Supt. Santi Noel Matira, a member of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) unit in Region 8 that raided Espinosa’s cell at the provincial jail, invoked his right to privacy during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs on the killing of the mayor on Thursday.

“I’d like to reiterate my instruction earlier for Supt. Matira to turn over his cell phone to his director…right now,” said Senator Panfilo Lacson, chair of the committee.

“Your honor, I’d like to invoke my right (to) privacy,” Matira said.

Lacson then asked if the cop was invoking his right against self-incrimination “because the contents of your cell phone are incriminating?”

“No, your honor,” Matira said as he clarified that he was invoking both his right to privacy and against self-incrimination.

“You don’t want to be incriminated kasi may mga incriminating contents dun sa cell phone mo (because your cell-phone has incriminating contents)? I just want to make it clear,” the senator asked again.