Marcos, other cops in Espinosa slay out of Crame custody

The police officers involved in the killing of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa at a Leyte jail have been released from restrictive custody supposedly to gather evidence in their defense, the PNP-Internal Affairs Service said on Friday.

Chief Supt. Leo Angelo Leuterio, PNP-IAS deputy inspector general, said Supt. Marvin Marcos, the former chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Eastern Visayas, and 17 others in his team have been allowed to go to Leyte to prepare their counter-affidavits.

They were placed under restrictive custody on November 24, upon the orders of PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa following Espinosa's death at the Leyte sub-Provincial jail on November 5.

The Albuera mayor died in an alleged shootout inside his detention cell when the CIDG Region 8 team served a search warrant before dawn on that day.

Espinosa's death became the subject of a Senate inquiry, where allegations of a rubout came to fore against the Leyte policemen.

The police officers were supposed to submit the counter-affidavits on Friday but were given an extension.

"It's within their rights to have it extended, but I will be reminding them to submit it as soon as possible because we have to proceed already to summary hearing of their case so we can come to a conclusion," Leuterio said.

"We can close this case then report to the public,”?? he added.

The IAS earlier promised the Senate that it would try to resolve the case on the death of Albuera mayor within a month.

The IAS deputy inspector general said the 18 were remain on floating status and should still report to Camp Crame.

"They are assigned in the Police Holding and Accounting Unit of the PNP, however, yung restrictive custody nila ay lifted to give them a chance to go back to Region 8 to get the papers they need for their counter affidavits," Leuterio said.

Relieved then reinstated

Even before Espinosa's death, Dela Rosa relieved Marcos of his duty after the mayor's son, suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, tagged Marcos as one of his protectors in the illegal drug trade.

Dela Rosa, however, said that he reinstated Marcos after receiving a phone call from "a kumpare" in Malacañang.

"'Yung revelation ni Kerwin na tumanggap siya ng pera sa ilegal na droga so kaya ko tinanggal," Dela Rosa said in a recent interview.

"Pero 'yun nga ibinalik ko dahil hindi naman makakaapekto sa imbestigasyon, tumawag yung kumpare ko sa Malacanang na nagpapatulong yung grupo na ibalik ko," he added.

Kerwin was arrested in Abu Dhabi on October 17.

Marcos was finally relieved from post when Albuera mayor Espinosa died. —NB, GMA News