BATO TO JOVIE: SHUT UP!

MANILA – Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, former Philippine National Police (PNP) director, criticized controversial Police Lieutenant Colonel Jovie Espenido for statements made against the police organization and chief, General Archie Francisco Gamboa.

“Kung gusto niyang magsalita nang magsalita against the PNP, lumabas siya, umalis siya,” said Dela Rosa.

Espenido, sacked as deputy director for operations of the Bacolod City Police Office following his inclusion in the government’s drug watch list, accused the PNP of “failure of intelligence.”

Dela Rosa, in a media interview in Camp Crame, said Espenido should stop talking or just leave the police force.

“You are still in the PNP organization. You observe what should be observed. Talking indiscriminately is not observing the proper decorum,” said Dela Rosa.

Espenido is currently on floating status at the Police Regional Office 6 in Iloilo City under the Regional Personnel Accounting Unit.

In two successive press conferences he held in Bacolod City (Feb. 19) and Iloilo City (Feb. 20) despite the gag order from Gamboa, Espenido denied being involved in illegal drugs and criticized the PNP for its poor intelligence gathering.

While he believes Espenido is not involved in illegal drugs, Dela Rosa said the police official’s actions were becoming out of bounds.

For his part, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Eduardo Año said Espenido violated the gag order which was agreed upon by the 357 policemen themselves who were being investigated by the PNP for alleged links to illegal drugs.

“Lahat sila nag-agree to remain silent para matapos nang maayos itong adjudication. I leave it to the chief PNP kung paano nya ite-treat ‘yung pag-press conference ni Colonel Espenido,” said Año.

Año said he understood that Espenido was just trying to clear his name and “i-explain ang sarili niya dahil sa dami na lumalabas na story sa media.”

“Pero if I were Espenido, sasabihin ko lang na I will answer all these allegations and present my side,” said Año.

Dela Rosa described Espenido as “my man and I am vouching for his integrity.”

“I know him to be a good police officer,” Dela Rosa said. “Hindi ko siya ilalagay (bilang police chief) sa Albuera, Leyte at Ozamis City kung involved siya sa illegal drugs.”

Dela Rosa also said it is possible that some rogue police officers might be out to sabotage Espenido; he thus urged the PNP to also investigate the information that linked Espenido to illegal drugs.

“Dapat ungkatin ng PNP kung sino ang gumawa ng report na ‘yan. Most likely sindikato na pulis ang gumawa. Dapat i-follow up ng PNP ‘yan,” Dela Rosa said.

Espenido was instrumental in busting the drug syndicate under suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, whose father, then mayor Ronaldo Espinosa of Albueara, Leyte and detained as a drug suspect, was shot dead inside the sub-provincial jail in Baybay City, Leyte in 2016. The PNP chief then was Dela Rosa.

In 2017 as Ozamiz City police chief, Espenido raided the house of drug suspect Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog who died in a shootout that ensued.

Gamboa indicated Espenido could be further investigated for violating the gag order he issued.

“I will deal with Espenido squarely as the chief PNP and he being a member of the PNP,” Gamboa said.

He, however, did not specify how the PNP would deal with Espenido’s statements.

“We have internal mechanisms. I will deal with him internally,” Gamboa said./PN