Robredo: Mayor Espinosa's death 'alarming,' casts doubt on police integrity

Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday said she was "alarmed" by the circumstances surrounding the death of detained Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa over the weekend.

Espinosa was killed in a shootout inside the Baybay City Provincial Jail early Saturday morning, after allegedly fighting with operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Region 8 who were serving search warrants on him and drug suspect Raul Yap. 

In a statement, Robredo expressed condolences to the family of the mayor as she described the context of his death as "peculiar."

She also said the killing casts doubts on the integrity of the police force.

"[W]e are alarmed by the recent events that led to the death of Mayor Espinosa. Given the peculiar context, this killing raises a lot of questions on the official accounts of the CIDG," she said.

"The unlawful event even puts into question the integrity of the institution. Thus, we ask: who will police the police?" she added.

The Philippine National Police, the Department of Justice, and the Commission on Human Rights will conduct separate investigations on the incident.

The Senate and the House of Representatives are also eyeing separate inquiries on the matter.

Robredo said the investigation must be "thorough, fair, and swift," and those that will conduct it must "ensure that no whitewash will happen."

"We cannot afford the further erosion of our people's trust in our justice system if those who take the law into their own hands are not found and prosecuted," she said.

She added: "We hope this is not an indication of a nation failing to uphold the rule of law and a sovereign unable to protect its own citizens. We need to reinforce the trust of the people in our judicial system."

Mayor Espinosa had surrendered to the PNP last August after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered policemen to shoot him and his son Kerwin if they resisted arrest or failed to surrender within 24 hours.

At the time, he claimed to know some 30 lawmakers and police commanders involved in illegal drugs.

He was arrested last October 5 for illegal drug and weapons charges. Kerwin, on the other hand, was arrested in Abu Dhabi last month and is in the process of being deported to the Philippines. —KBK, GMA News