Cop denies CIDG served search warrant on a dead Espinosa

The leader of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Region 8 operation at the Baybay, Leyte sub-provincial jail on Thursday clarified that he was not serving a search warrant against a dead Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa.

During the Senate committee on justice probe, Sen. Panfilo Lacson asked Chief Inspector Leo Laraga to confirm media reports the CIDG served a warrant on the corpse, saying if this was correct procedure.

"Meron ba talagang nagbasa to formally serve the warrant on two dead bodies?" Lacson said, referring to the bodies of Espinosa and Raul Yap. 

"Patay na nga binabasahan pa ng search warrant. Would you explain kung bakit ganon yung procedure? Is this the correct procedure?" he added. 

Laraga said the serving of the warrant was meant for witnesses of the crime and provincial jail warden Homobono Bardillon.

"The reading of the search warrant was not really for the dead body but the witness and supposedly to the provincial warden," Laraga said.

However, footage in a report from Jay Sabale on 24 Oras on Monday showed a police officer reading Espinosa's warrant for illegal possession of firearms but it was not clear if the suspect's corpse was still in the jail cell.

Laraga said he first requested permission from Bardillon to start the search before agents from the Scene of the Crime Operatives arrived at the detention center.

"Actually pinapasok namin dun si warden Bardillon, sinabi ko pa nga na magbabasa ako nung search warrant para masimulan yung search. Pero hindi naman tinapos ni warden yung search, tinignan na lang niya, pumunta sa kabilang selda tapos kasunod yung SOCO tapos nagstambay na lang siya labas," he said. 

Meanwhile, Lacson also questioned Laraga on why he refused to provide a copy of the warrant to the jail guards.

"Nanghihingi sila ng copy ng search warrant sa inyo ayaw niyong bigyan. You ignored them. Nandyan sa statement, they were requesting a copy to see. Gusto nila makita yung search warrant dahil ang titignan niyo yung facility nila," Lacson said.

Bardillon mentioned a jail guard holding the keys to the detention cells was the person asking for a copy of the warrant.

But Laraga denied he refused to provide a copy of the warrant, saying a radio broadcaster from Kaugop Radio can back his claim.

"Di po totoo yun your honor. In fact may kasama naman kaming media dun na nag-witness, pinakita talaga namin yung dalawang search warrant," Laraga said.

Lacson said the broadcaster from Kaugop Radio will be invited in the next Senate hearing. — Joseph Tristan Roxas/RSJ, GMA News