MAN OF THE HOUR. Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido is interviewed by the media following the commemoration of National Heroes Day at the Heroes’ Cemetery in Taguig City. Iloilo, where Espenido is headed soon, is described as the “bedrock” of the Visayas drug trade, and Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog is also included in Duterte’s watch list.
AP Photo
Cop chief warned on unlawful killings; Loot believes Espenido can clear his name
He may have dreamed of being assigned in Cebu, but Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido’s commander in chief has other ideas.
In a speech to mark the National Heroes Day celebration in Taguig City yesterday, President Rodrigo Duterte made it clear he wants Espenido in Iloilo.
“Your next assignment is Iloilo. (You are) free to kill the idiots,” President Duterte said, referring to drug suspects and criminals resorting to violence in resisting arrest by police.
“I will support you. Then we’ll all go to jail, do not worry. Just follow the rules of engagements, the requirements of the performance of duty, which you have learned in your PNP in all those four years,” Duterte said.
President Duterte reminded Espenido, who has been described by some as a scourge of alleged drug lords, against unlawful killings of drug suspects.
Unlawful killing
Espenido led the raids on the houses of the Parojinog clan last July that led to the death of Ozamiz City mayor Reynaldo Parojinog and 14 others.
He was also the police commander of Albuera town in Leyte province when Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. was killed in an alleged shootout inside the sub-provincial jail in Baybay City.
“Murder and homicide or whatever — unlawful killing — is not allowed. But in the performance of your duty, tell your man that whenever their life is in danger and they are in the actual performance of a duty, your duty requires you to overcome the resistance of the person you are arresting,” he said.
“Because if he does not, and he resists, and it is a violent one, placing in jeopardy the lives of my policemen, and of course the military, you are free to kill the idiots. That is my order to you. Always in the performance of a duty,” President Duterte told Espenido.
The President said he hated “to see dead policemen and soldiers performing their duty.”
Dedicated man
During the event, the President awarded Espenido with the Magalong Medal, which is conferred on officials and personnel of the government and private individuals who have rendered “extraordinary service or have made exceptional contributions to the success of an activity pursuant to a campaign or advocacy of the President.”
In an ambush interview, Duterte said Espenido requested him to be assigned in Iloilo.
“He’s a dedicated man. He knows his law. So he should replicate his exploits in other parts of the country. He wants to be assigned in Iloilo. I will assign him there,” he told reporters.
The President noted that the mayors involved in drugs died when Espenido was assigned in their area.
Duterte earlier tagged Iloilo as the “bedrock” of illegal drugs in the Visayas.
In an interview with Cebu reporters last Saturday, Espenido said he also wanted to be assigned in Cebu, specifically in Daanbantayan town and Talisay City.
Cleared
Espenido said that if ever he will be assigned in Cebu, he can solve the drug problem in the island in just a month.
Daanbantayan’s Mayor Vicente Loot, a retired police general, was among the police officials publicly named by President Duterte as one of the drug coddlers in the country.
In a text message to Cebu Daily News, Loot said he would have preferred Espenido to be assigned in his town.
“Knowing him as a person and his integrity as a police officer, I believe he would be the key to my being cleared from all the false and baseless accusations,” Loot said.
Loot said Espenido knew his personality and background as a person and as a fellow police officer.
Demolition job
“It won’t take long for him (Espenido) to get to know the truth if he will take the extra mile of getting into the bottom of the whole truth,” Loot said.
He said he is comfortable with Espenido and can even lay down his cards where Espenido can “pick up pieces of information” that he will provide since they belonged to the same region before.
“For sure, he has a better understanding of the situation in Region 8 where the demolition job against me started,” Loot said.
Loot said he knew Espenido since they have worked together before where Espenido was the battalion commander and he was the deputy for administration in Iloilo.
But Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak said it takes more than just a feisty police officer to solve the illegal drug problem in Cebu.
From scratch
Tumulak, deputy mayor on police matters, said cooperation from the public and all sectors of government are needed in combating the drug menace.
This is why he said even if Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido is reassigned in Cebu, he would have to start just like any other police officer — from scratch.
“I do believe in his courage in implementing public order and safety in the places he was assigned. But I’d like to remind him, Cebu City is different.
He has to start from the scratch. He has to establish more intelligence gathering before implementation,” Tumulak told reporters.
“Courage alone is not enough here. You have to also use your head,” the councilor said.
Senior Supt. Joel Doria, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) chief, said they would welcome any police officer who may be assigned in the city.
Unsatisfied
But he said as of now, Cebu City has enough station commanders.
“In Cebu City, we have enough station commanders and they are performing well. I also commend them. We see that all our station commanders are doing their best to lessen crimes,” he told reporters yesterday morning after attending the National Heroes Day celebration at City Hall.
Even before learning of the President’s announcement, Doria already hinted that he has received information that Espenido would not end up in Cebu.
He said Espenido was targeting another area but refused to name it.
Doria said he will just wait as to where he will be assigned by Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
Tumulak said he is not yet fully satisfied with Doria’s performance, rating him 7.5 on a scale of 1 to 10.
“Doria still has to replace all scalawags. He knows well (who these are). There are reports here in City Hall that there are still police scalawags. That has to be addressed,” Tumulak said. /With Inquirer reports