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Gentiles: I guarantee his safety ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MERIANNE GRACE EREÑETA and RUBY SILUBRICO
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ILOILO City – Where is barangay councilman and drug suspect Jesus “Jing-jing” Espinosa Jr. of Barangay Monica-Blumentritt, City Proper?
It would be better for him to surrender than continue hiding, according to Chief Superintendent Jose Gentiles, director of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
Policemen who raided Espinosa’s house on Sunday failed to arrest him.
Espinosa ranked No. 2 in the Iloilo City Police Office – Police Station 1’s list of suspected drug personalities in the City Proper.
For his own safety, Espinosa should peacefully turn himself in to the police, Gentiles said yesterday.
The police director said Espinosa can also surrender to him if the councilman so wishes.
“I can guarantee his safety if he surrender to the police or to me,” Gentiles said.
He urged Espinosa to face the legal cases he faces.
As of this writing, the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Group (RAIDTG) that raided Espinosa’s house were preparing charges against him for illegal gun and illegal drug possession.
RAIDTG operatives recovered the following:
* seven sachets of shabu
* .45 pistol with serial number C232884-3
* magazines with 30 rounds of ammunitions
* three black holsters
* .9mm pistol with serial number H81167 and expired permit to carry firearms outside residence (PTCFOR)
* magazine with 22 ammunitions, and
* P25,955 cash.
But Espinosa’s wife, Barangay Captain Keith “Dabing” Espinosa of Monica-Blumentritt, questioned the raid. She claimed the raiders switched off their house’s security cameras.
“Gin patay nila amon CCTV…Sila mismo makahambal kun amon gid na…Gin plantedan kami nila,” she said.
If the village chief were to be believed, RAIDTG operatives “planted” the sachets of shabu they supposedly recovered from the house. She, however, did not say anything about her husband’s whereabouts.
RAIDTG operatives believed Espinosa was able to escape from the house.
Espinosa’s father, Jesus Sr. questioned the raid’s procedure. He claimed the policemen did not present to his son’s wife the search warrants before proceeding to inspect the four-storey house.
“It was a case of putting the cart before the horse. Una pa ang search sa pagpakita search warrant,” said the elder Espinosa.
Jesus Sr. also said he owned the house but that he was already staying in Lapuz district. He was also mum on the whereabouts of his son.
The police forcibly opened the house’s main door after no one from the inside opened it.
“We knocked on the door for over a minute but nobody opened it, perhaps as a delaying tactic,” said Superintendent Ramil Gallardo, RAIDTG chief.
Espinosa’s wife claimed her husband was set up.
“Bal-an na nila ang kamatuoran,” said the barangay captain./PN
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