Senator Panfilo Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES
Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Friday said the police leadership should tell President Duterte the real story behind the police killing of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. inside a jail in Leyte, following an initial Senate finding that the slaying of the alleged drug trafficker was premeditated.
Mr. Duterte, speaking to reporters after arriving from a trip to Thailand and Malaysia late on Thursday, said he believed the police account that Espinosa was killed in a shootout with officers who had come with a warrant to search his cell for weapons and drugs before dawn on Nov. 5.
鈥淚 believe in the version of the police,鈥� Mr. Duterte said.
鈥淸If they] have evidence to prove otherwise, then a case should be filed against the police,鈥� he added, referring to the Senate investigators.
The Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs headed by Lacson opened an inquiry into Espinosa鈥檚 shooting death on Thursday and heard testimony from officers involved that led to the initial finding that the killing of the mayor was premeditated.
Police story
The Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Eastern Visayas (Region 8) claimed that officers from the group went to the Leyte subprovincial jail in Baybay City before dawn on Nov. 5 with a warrant to search Espinosa鈥檚 cell for weapons and drugs.
But Espinosa fired at the policemen, forcing them to shoot back, killing him.
Another inmate, Raul Yap, was killed in the shootout.
Crime scene investigators recovered guns and sachets of 鈥渟habu,鈥� a highly addictive form of methamphetamine, in the two men鈥檚 cells.
The Leyte provincial police investigated the killings, found there was no shootout, and directed the Regional Internal Affairs Service to conduct a separate probe.
During Thursday鈥檚 opening hearing, the senators heard testimony that at 3:49 a.m. on Nov. 5, Supt. Santi Noel Matira, leader of the CIDG-8 raiding team, called for crime scene investigators to join the operation. The team, however, entered the jail at 4:30 a.m.
That, to Lacson, a former PNP chief, meant only one thing: the policemen went to the jail to kill Espinosa.
鈥楶谤别尘别诲颈迟补迟别诲鈥�
鈥淵ou had not even entered [the jail but] you were already calling for [crime scene investigators]? Were you anticipating that you were going to kill someone?鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like calling the funeral parlor [before someone has died].鈥�
Lacson earlier described Espinosa鈥檚 death as a 鈥渃lear case of extrajudicial killing.鈥�
On Thursday, he said, 鈥淭here鈥檚 one word to describe this: premeditated.鈥�
Several senators said they believed Espinosa was eliminated, as he had submitted a statement linking politicians, policemen, including some narcotics officials, to his illegal drug business.
On Friday, Lacson said the PNP leadership should tell Mr. Duterte what really happened.
鈥淭heir chief and, if possible, the command group and the key officers should request for a no-holds-barred meeting with [the President],鈥� Lacson said.
The PNP leadership, he said, should deal with concerns from top officials about how 鈥渙vereager elements鈥� on the force are 鈥渂ypassing the chain [of command]鈥� and feeding the President incorrect information.
Lacson, who still has sources within the PNP that he once headed, said several 鈥渢op and middle level officials鈥� had been airing such concerns 鈥渇or quite sometime.鈥�
The Office of the Ombudsman will investigate the killing of Espinosa.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales confirmed to reporters on Friday that she had formed a group to look into the mayor鈥檚 death.
The National Bureau of Investigation and the Supreme Court are also investigating the matter.
Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto said he was 鈥渘ot surprised鈥� that Mr. Duterte accepted the police version of the killing.
鈥淗e made a calculation and decided to take the side of the CIDG Region 8. I hope that his taking their side will not lead to more abuses to be committed by rogue PNP elements,鈥� Recto told the Inquirer in a text message.
鈥楢ssumption of regularity鈥�
Mr. Duterte鈥檚 spokesperson, Ernesto Abella, said the President鈥檚 comment was 鈥渟imply an assumption of regularity.鈥�
The PNP investigation is going on, and 鈥渢he whole process will unfold,鈥� Abella said.
He said Mr. Duterte was bound to go by the results of the PNP鈥檚 investigation.
Before leaving for Thailand on Wednesday, Mr. Duterte said he found nothing puzzling about the killing of Espinosa, whom he publicly linked to the illegal drug trade in August.
鈥淵ou have here a guy鈥攇overnment employee鈥攗sing his office and money of the government cooking shabu and destroying the lives of many millions of Filipinos. So what is there for me to say about it?鈥� he told reporters. 鈥擶ITH REPORTS FROM LEILA B. SALAVERRIA AND VINCE F. NONATO