Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido (Photo from his Facebook page)
CEBU CITY – Controversial police official, Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido on Tuesday thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for keeping his trust in him despite the inclusion of his name on the list of narco-cops.
Espenido granted media interviews as he dropped by the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) on his way to Iloilo City, saying he just wanted to clear his name of the negative public perception.
“I thank the President for his trust. I don’t know him personally but for him to clear my name is really something,” he said.
Espenido was among the 357 police officers summoned to Camp Crame by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Archie Gamboa and ordered to face the adjudication board.
On Feb. 14, however, Duterte said Espenido’s inclusion on the drugs watchlist could be part of a black propaganda against the police official.
Espenido said he was elated to hear Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo say Duterte believes he is “clean”.
He said he is also thankful to Gamboa and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año for allowing him to face the adjudication board along with 356 other police officers.
Espenido said he believes that there are certain camps angry with him because of his achievements as a police officer.
Espenido was previously chief of Albuera police in Leyte and of Ozamis City in Misamis Oriental.
He claimed that during his tour of duty in Albuera, Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. was killed and the town was declared drug-free within 18 months.
When he was transferred to Ozamis, he was able to clean the city of illegal drugs in five months following the death of Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog.
“When I was assigned in Leyte, I filed cases against my chief and the deputy regional director for administration. I earned enemies in the organization because of my advocacy to change the system in the government,” he said in Cebuano.
Although he was shocked upon learning his name was on the watchlist, Espenido said he considered it as part of the hazards of his profession.
“That’s the life of a policeman. Damn if you do good, damn if you do bad. But if you do bad you get many enemies. Good thing is many would appreciate what I am doing,” he said.
With reports about threats to his life, Espenido said he would leave it to the government, pointing out that those who wanted him killed are politicians and members of the police force who are not happy with his actions supporting the President's war on drugs. (Sheriza Mae Uy/PNA)
