Espenido praying for Cebu assignment

Ozamiz City Police Director, Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido, speaks before the members of the Seventh-Day Adventist in Cebu City and expresses his desire for an assignment in Cebu.
CDN PHOTO/FE MARIE DUMABOC

The police chief responsible for the neutralization of alleged drug lords, former Albuera, Leyte mayor Rolando Espinosa and Ozamiz City mayor Reynaldo “Aldong” Parojinog, is praying for an assignment in Cebu.

Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido, a member of the Seventh-Day Adventist spoke before the members of his church yesterday and expressed his desire to be assigned in Central Visayas, particularly Cebu and declared that he is pro-life and condemned the killing of drug suspects, saying they should just peacefully surrender.

When asked about the call of the church to stop the killing during anti-drug operations, he said, “dapat, i-stop (the killing), di g’yud na pwede. Ako, pro-life ta, pro-life, kung kinakailangan himuon nato, kung kinahanglan, kon necessary g’yud himuon, (to kill). Pero if unnecessary, di na pwede.”

(It should stop. I am pro-life but if it is necessary then we will do it. But if it is unnecessary, it should not be done.)

Espenido has been hounded by a mixture of controversy and praise in the areas where he has been assigned.

When he was chief of police of Albuera town in Leyte, he caused the arrest of Espinosa, but not before an alleged shootout with the mayor’s so-called goons, which resulted to several deaths.

Espinosa was later killed inside his detention cell together with another inmate during an operation lead by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

When he was assigned as police chief of Ozamiz City, he was involved in an early morning operation against mayor Parojinog, which resulted in the deaths of the mayor, several of his family members and employees.

Espenido, during his talk at the Seventh-Day Adventist church on N. Bacalso Ave., shared stories of his life while he was police chief of Albuera town and Ozamiz City and said he was constantly praying to God for guidance and protection.

He clarified during his talk that he was not the one who killed Espinosa but was the one who arrested him.

“Akong ampo nga, ako, bisan napulo pa ka pirma, usa gatus ka pirma. Number 1 Cebu man kong produkto, so dali ra nato masulbad, samot naay Ginoo nga motabang nato, ug nakaila nata sa ila kun si kinsa na sila, Si kuan, si kuan, sikuan, so nakaila nata daan,” he told reporters yesterday morning.

(I pray that I would be assigned in Cebu because I am a product of Cebu and it will be easier to solve the drug problem, especially that we have a God who will help us know them.)

“Way problema. Kon tugutan lang nga dinhi (Cebu) ko ibutang ako ng gihinangop nga ma-assign dire,” he added.

(I eagerly anticipate an assignment here.)

Espenido declined to answer questions on how rampant the illegal drug trade in Cebu, saying he can answer it in some other days, except Saturday, considered a day of rest by the Seventh Day Adventists.