President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Presidential Photo
President Rodrigo Duterte may have yet to be fully apprised of the suspicious circumstances surrounding the killing of drug trafficker Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. in detention, several lawmakers said聽Friday聽in the wake of a Senate hearing that found discrepancies and loopholes in the police narration of the story.
This as Duterte said he believed the version of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Region 8 operatives that Espinosa was shot dead as he聽 tried to fight off policemen serving a search warrant inside his jail cell at the sub-provincial jail in Baybay, Leyte on Nov. 5.
READ: Duterte believes police version of Espinosa jail killing
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think the President has been properly briefed yet on the recent聽 developments, particularly the version of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Region 8 policemen after they testified yesterday,鈥� said Senator Panfilo Lacson, chair of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, who led聽Thursday鈥檚聽hearing.
He noted that even the Philippine National Police leadership 鈥渞ecognized how they abused their authority in such a brazen manner.鈥�
鈥淚f it鈥檚 an all out war that the President is after as he clearly stated, the killing of Espinosa is more of a setback than gain as far as the protectors in and out of governance. The authorities lost the probative value of his testimony with his death. What a waste,鈥� he said.
Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III had a similar take.
鈥淧erhaps he was not fully appraised of the circumstances yet. He must have been told that a drug lord was killed, but he was not told that bigger drug lords could possibly be behind the killing,鈥� he said.
Sen. Leila de Lima, a committee member and fierce critic of Duterte鈥檚 all-out war on drugs, lamented the President鈥檚 decision, saying his position鈥攄espite tell-tale signs that Espinosa鈥檚 slay was extrajudicial鈥攖ended to affirm impunity.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an unfortunate, deplorable state of affairs in our country today to be witnessing these brazen acts of impunity, and with a Chief Executive empowering abusive and violent policemen, by continuing to protect said policemen and their gross misconduct in carrying out attacks against civilians,鈥� she said.
De Lima cited how the President has 鈥渢he tendency to be willfully blind where he feels it would reflect badly on him and his 鈥淲ar on Drugs.鈥�
At聽Thursday鈥檚聽nearly eight-hour hearing, Lacson said Espinosa鈥檚 slay was 鈥減remeditated鈥� as he found out discrepancies between police logs and operatives鈥� testimonies.
Lacson pointed out that the raiding team called for forensics investigators to respond some 41 minutes before they even broke into the jail facility. Espinosa and fellow inmate Raul Yap turned up dead minutes later.
READ: Lacson: Espinosa slay premeditated
The inquiry also established that the raiding team of 19 men, including CIDG Region 8 head Supt. Marvin Marcos, failed to coordinate their mission with jail authorities and higher Philippine National Police officers, despite the involvement of a high-profile inmate.聽RAM/rga