Bato to deal with CIDG men involved in Espinosa killing

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Sunday said he will personally deal with the policemen involved in a jail raid that led to the killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr.

Dela Rosa, who was in Las Vegas to watch Sen. Manny Pacquiao's fight against Jessie Vargas, said he will cut short his stay in the US and return to the Philippines on Monday.

"I will take care of them once I come back tomorrow, deal with them right after the bout," the PNP chief said.

Dela Rosa said that as he was still in the US for Pacquiao's title fight, he is giving the full authority to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) based in Camp Crame to handle the investigation into Espinosa's killing.

Espinosa was killed by operatives of the CIDG's unit in Region 8.

The operatives were supposed to serve search warrants on Espinosa and drug suspect Raul Yap in the Leyte Sub-Provincial Jail in Baybay City when a supposed shootout happened, which resulted in the killing of the jailed local chief executive and the other inmate.

Dela Rosa said he was not sure if the CIDG operatives had been relieved or suspended.

"Malalaman naitn 'yan 'pag uwi ko, but now I'm giving the full authority [to] CIDG [director Chief Superintendent Roel Obusan]. Ang dapat niyang gawin as director bahala muna siya then bukas, I will deal with them once I come back," the top cop said.

No whitewash

Dela Rosa said he will make sure that there will be no cover-up in the police's investigations into Espinosa's killing.

"I am assuring the good senator that there will be no whitewash, there will be no cover-up," the PNP chief, referring to Sen. Panfilo Lacson who cast doubt on the CIDG men's claim that they killed the mayor in self defense.

He said he will also deal with rumors that CIDG Region 8 director Superintendent Marvin Marcos was a drug protector.

He will also ask the investigators about reports that the CIDG men involved in the operation against Espinosa took the CCTV camera installed in the sub-provincial jail.

The CIDG Region 8's team leader, Chief Inspector Leo Laraga, has denied they took the CCTV camera.

Laraga told Balitanghali in an interview on Saturday that he was confident they will be cleared from speculations that they executed the mayor in his jail cell.

Dela Rosa had said that CIDG members in Region 8 who were supposedly involved in the drug operation of the Espinosas had been relieved prior to the mayor's killing.

Espinosa's son, Kerwin, has been arrested in Abu Dhabi. The younger Espinosa is an alleged drug lord. —ALG, GMA News