CASE REOPENED. The house of slain Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., where policemen seized illegal drugs and firearms during a raid in 2016. The Philippine National Police regional internal affairs service has reopened the case filed against policemen involved in the raid. (PNA file photo)
PALO, Leyte -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) in Region 8 (Eastern Visayas) has reopened the 49 drug-related cases involving law enforcers.
PNP regional internal affairs service (RIAS) director Col. Jesse Perez on Wednesday said 23 of the 49 cases have already been reinvestigated and six have already been decided since they initiated the probe early May this year.
Up for reinvestigation are those cases involving policemen who joined anti-illegal drug operations with casualties. These cases were previously recommended dropped and closed due to lack of probable cause.
RIAS is tasked to conduct motu propio investigation in all police operations resulting in serious physical injuries, death, and violation of human rights.
Among the 49 drug-related cases for reinvestigation was the anti-illegal drugs raid on the property of slain Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa led by then Albuera municipal police station chief, then-Maj. Jovie Espenido.
Espenido, now a lieutenant colonel, received his new rank insignias from Brig. Gen. Rene Pamuspusan, Police Regional Office-6 (Western Visayas) regional director, and Col. Marlon Tayaba, chief of PRO-6 directorial staff, three years after his promotion order was approved.
Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido is assigned as the deputy city director for operations of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) effective Wednesday.
Last week, Espenido attended the summary proceedings of his case at the PNP regional office here.
“We are not singling out certain police personnel or group. Cases that are dropped and closed at the pre-judging investigation are still open-ended and we can always open it for reinvestigation,” Perez said.
“Even without the memorandum, our office will continue gathering evidence. For an administrative proceeding, investigators are given 18 days. If they fail, it will be temporarily closed, but can be subjected to reopening anytime,” he added.
Perez clarified their office does not impose a penalty since they are only a recommendatory body.
“It is up for the respective disciplinary authority to appreciate our recommendation,” Perez said.
The full-blown reopening of 49 drug-related cases shows that the PNP is serious in its internal cleaning program, said PNP Eastern Visayas director Brig. Gen Dionardo Carlos.
“The PNP is serious and transparent in our internal cleansing campaign so we are exerting and extending all our efforts to comply with this, not just for compliance purposes but on a religious basis towards a clean organization,” Carlos added.
The PNP regional officials here said the reinvestigation is not triggered by ongoing Senate investigation on “ninja cops” since they have been doing this since May 2019. (PNA)
