MANILA – The fate of controversial Police Lieutenant Colonel Jovie Espenido, the sacked deputy director for operations of the Bacolod City Police Office, is to be decided by the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), according to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Archie Gamboa.
While the PRO-6 already cleared Espenido of any links to illegal drugs, Gamboa said the regional police office is also looking at the police official’s defiance of an order to stop discussing in public his inclusion in the list of “narco cops” pending investigation results.
It was Gamboa who issued the gag order.
“As a matter of procedure, the director of PRO-6 already took charge of that process,” said Gamboa at a press briefing in Baguio City over the weekend.
The PRO-6 director is Police Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan who pronounced last week, “Wala naman tayong reliable information or validated report that he is involved in illegal drugs, so he was cleared.”
Gamboa said Pamuspusan had summoned Espenido to explain the police officials’ recent remarks.
In a press conference at Camp Delgado – headquarters of the PRO-6 in Iloilo City – Espenido said he does not fear issuing statements despite the gag order.
“Kung sakaling ano ang mangyari, kasi nagpa-interview ako, I (am ready to) suffer the consequences,” Espenido told members of the media.
He added: “This is my right. I have my personal right, ‘wag ninyo lang akong bawalan or else wala akong magawa din. Demokrasya tayo. Kung kasuhan ako, kung ito na lang ang paraan na ma-dismiss ako sa serbisyo, then let it be.”
According to Gamboa, based on the appreciation of Espenido’s explanation, “should it not convince Pamuspusan, then appropriate pre-charge would be executed. Otherwise, puwede ring hindi.”
He previously gave a “general instruction” to policemen included in the drug watch list to remain silent on the issue.
But Gamboa said Espenido’s commenting about the drug watch list and PNP’s alleged “failure of intelligence” could not be considered insubordination yet.
In a press conference in Bacolod City on Feb. 19, Espenido said his name could have been “planted” on the list.
Gamboa earlier vowed to deal with Espenido for granting media interviews despite the gag order he issued for all the 356 policemen being investigated over alleged links to illegal drugs.
In exchange for the gag order, he promised that their identities will not be disclosed.
Gamboa added that all intelligence reports on the alleged narco cops are confidential.
On Feb. 20, former national police chief and now senator Ronald Dela Rosa also took offense on Espenido’s recent actions which he said were putting the police institution in a bad light.
Though vouching for Espenido’s integrity, Dela Rosa advised him to leave the organization if he cannot keep quiet.
“You are still in the PNP organization. You observe what should be observed. Talking indiscriminately is not observing the proper decorum. Otherwise, kung gusto niya magsalita nang magsalita against the PNP, lumabas siya, umalis siya,” Dela Rosa said in media interview in Camp Crame, Quezon City. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency/PN)