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Reward system in drug war confirmed
By J.Lo
“We’ll work to eliminate anyone, as long as you’re on drug watchlist, your honor,” Col. Jovie Espenido replied to Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon’s questioning.confirmed reward and quota system under former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, emboldened some police officers to abuse system.
Testifying before hearing of House of Representatives’ quad committee on drug-related killings during Duterte administration, police officer said many innocent civilians died due to abuses committed by police.
“But then, some police officers abused this problem in the war against illegal drugs,” he stressed.
Espenido explained “pushers and users” were ones eliminated in drug war and not drug sources themselves.
“I am very, very sorry to say that some police officers took advantage and opportunity to kill drug pushers to gain rewards and higher positions,” he said.
Bongalon asked Espenido if he was aware that during anti-drug crackdown, there were strong protests against human rights violations committed by police.
Espenido replied affirmative, underscoring he believed human rights were indeed violated during drug campaign.
He added instructions for police officers were clear as jargon used in police language.
“There is one general word that when you hear it, we all know the meaning of it…when we say ‘to neutralize illegal drugs,’ killing of pushers is included… very obvious for us,” Espenido maintained.
Responding to queries of Manila Third District Rep. Joel Chua, Espenido claimed when he became police chief in Albuera, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa called him up and instructed him to dismantle drug operations in his area.
“Dela Rosa’s instruction to me was to help him and president Duterte with this war against illegal drugs. Dela Rosa told me, ‘Do your best; I will assign you as chief of police in Albuera so drug problem in Albuera will be eliminated.’ That’s what I remember,” Espenido recalled.
Dela Rosa, in chance interview at Senate, said he has yet to read Espenido’s statements.
He noted that there seems to be confusion with how term “neutralize” was used in drug war.
“What’s so bad about neutralizing drugs…we have to neutralize drug problem, don’t we…did I say kill that person… I didn’t say anything to kill that person,” Dela Rosa said.
He also clarified “neutralizing” means to clean up drug problem in an area and reiterated his point that he did not order to kill drug pushers and users.
He is also seeking Senate investigation into alleged involvement of government officials and workers in illegal drugs.
He noted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s pronouncement in his State of the Nation Address last July of arrest of 440 government officials, 42 uniformed personnel and 77 elected officials who were involved in illegal drugs, prompting him to file Senate Resolution 1163.
Philippine National Police (PNP) has yet to make statement about Espenido’s claim.
Espenido was police chief of Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental whose mayor, Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., and several members of the family and security were killed in raid by team from Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Region 10 in July 2017.
Prior to this, Espenido was police chief of Albuera, Leyte when town mayor, Rolando Espinosa, was gunned down in raid in his jail cell.
From Ozamiz, the police official was directed to Iloilo City, described by former president Duterte as most “shabulized” and whose mayor Jed Mabilog has not returned from abroad after he was placed on drug watchlist.
After Iloilo, Espenido was assigned to track down drug cartels in Negros Island.
Upon grilling by lawmakers, Espenido said he was able to meet Duterte four or five times at Malacañang, two of these after operations in Albuera and Ozamiz where, with Dela Rosa present, he was feted for job well done.
Espenido is now on floating status three months prior to his scheduled retirement.
Incarcerated former policeman corroborated earlier testimonies of two inmates on execution of three Chinese drug lords inside Davao penal colony in August 2016.
Former policeman Jimmy Fortaleza supported testimonies of Leopoldo Tan Jr. and Fernando Magdadaro regarding their claim of murder of three Chinese drug lords in same quad committee hearing.
In his testimony, Fortaleza recalled that in July 2016, he was visited by Lt. Col. Royina Garma, Chief Insp. Roland Vilela and Col. Hector Grijaldo, who were his classmates at PNP Academy.
Fortaleza claimed that Garma asked where Chinese drug lords were detained and he informed her that three were in “foreigner’s quarters.”
Garma told Fortaleza that she had operation among Chinese drug lords before leaving.
In August 2016, Fortaleza noted that Garma phoned him as she wanted to talk with Supt. Gerardo Padilla. Fortaleza then brought phone to Padilla so he and Garma could talk.
This was followed by commotion at foreigners’ quarters due to “searching” that resulted in three Chinese drug lords being transferred to isolation cell where three were killed by Magdadaro and Tan.
Fortaleza’s testimony made lawmakers grill Padilla on suspicion that he was involved in the killing even as he denied he knew whereabouts of Chinese nationals.
Quad committee co-chair Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said Padilla’s answers “compel panel to believe and conclude that he was lying.”
“It’s just two things, Supt. Padilla, you are either incompetent… or you have something to do with crime that happened right in your house,” Barbers said.
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