Ozamiz cop chief Espenido’s move to Iloilo canceled

Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido, Ozamiz City Police Station chief, speaks before members of the Seventh Day Adventist in Cebu City on Aug. 26, 2017 forum.
CDN PHOTO/FE MARIE DUMABOC

The assignment of controversial police official Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido to Iloilo City has been canceled, the Western Visayas police office announced on Saturday.

Espenido will remain under the Northern Mindanao police office, Chief Supt. Cesar Hawthorne Binag, Western Visayas police director, said in a press conference on the killing of alleged Western Visayas drug lord Richard Prevendido.

Binag said he did not know if the cancellation of Espenido’s assignment as head of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) was related to the killing of Prevendido who was gunned down in a police operation Friday evening.

PNP order

He said they received the order on Saturday morning from the Philippine National Police (PNP) national headquarters.

Binag said they also received on Friday an order assigning Senior Supt. Henry Biñas, former Negros Oriental police director, as ICPO director.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier this week had assigned Espenido to Iloilo City after again tagging Iloilo City as “most shabulized” and Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog as a “drug protector.”

Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, PNP chief, subsequently announced that Espenido would head the ICPO.

But this triggered questions on Espenido’s qualifications because he is two ranks lower than a senior superintendent, the rank required to hold the post of Iloilo City police director.

Davide’s wish

In an earlier interview, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III admitted that Espenido could be an asset to the province’s police organization just like any other police officers.

“Maayo man iyang performance based (on what I see) sa newspaper accounts, well, not because he killed but sa iyang dedication,” Davide said.

Davide commends Espenido’s serious dedication and leadership on the administration’s war on drugs.

Two mayors allegedly linked to illegal drugs were killed while Espenido was a police chief of their town or city.

Mayor Rolando Espinosa of Albuera, Leyte, was killed inside a Leyte jail.

Espenido was also the chief of police in Ozamiz City when Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog and 15 others were killed in a police operation led by him.

“Well, we need those kinds of officers to lead our police stations,” Davide added.

But he also said that he is grateful to Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) director Senior Supt. Eric Noble for leading the province’s police force.

Under Noble’s leadership, the CPPO was awarded as the Best Provincial Police Office in Central Visayas during the 116th Police Service Anniversary and second best in the country.

Policemen’s risks

Meanwhile, a Palace spokesperson highlighted the “enormous risk” police officers face every time they conduct operations against high-value targets.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said this amid the death of Iloilo’s alleged top drug lord Richard Prevendido alias “Buang” in a shootout following an anti-illegal drug police operation on Friday night.

Prevendido reportedly resisted arrest and, instead of surrendering, preferred to fight it out with the arresting policemen.

“The incident shows the enormous risk our police officers face each time warrants are implemented against high-value targets,” Abella said in a statement on Saturday. /Inquirer.net with USJ-R Intern Kristine Q. Remolisan