DOJ indicts CIDG cops over killing of Albuera, Leyte mayor

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted for murder the members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Eastern Visayas allegedly responsible for the killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. inside his detention cell in Leyte last November 5.

Charged for the killing of Espinosa are the following: Police Superintendent Santi Noel Matira, Police Inspector Leo Laraga, SPO4 Marvin Wynn Marcos, Senior Inspector Deogacias Diaz III, SPO2 Banjamin Dacallos, PO3 Norman Abellañosa, PO1 Jerlan Cabiyaan, Police Inspector Calixto Canillas Jr., PO1 Lucrecito Candilosas, PO2 Jhon Ruel Doculan, and PO2 Jaime Bacsal.

Charged for another count of murder for the killing of inmate Raul Yap are SPO4 Juanito Duarte, PO1 Lloyd Ortigueza, Senior Inspector Fritz Blanco, PO1 Bernard Orpilla, SPO2 Antonio Docil , SPO1 Mark Christian Cadilo, as well as Marcos, Diaz, Dacallos, Abellañosa, Cabiyaan, Canillas, Candilosas, Doculan and Bacsal.

Laraga and Abellañosa have also been charged with two counts of violation of Article 129 of the Revised Penal Code or malicious procurement of the search warrant against Espinosa and Yap.

Paul Olendan, a former inmate, was also charged for the same violation as well as perjury for saying under oath that he saw Yap repacking shabu and Espinosa possessing a gun inside their prison cell.

Olendan's statements became the basis for the issuance of the search warrant against the two inmates and the raid of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) operatives.

The DOJ, meanwhile, dismissed the murder complaints against Senior Inspector Eric Constantino, SPO2 Alphinor Serrano Jr., PO1 Kristal Jane Gisma, PO1 Divine Grace Songalia, and PO2 Niel Centino for "lack of probable cause."

"We fail to find probable cause to indict respondents... They were neither present during the pre-briefing orientation nor in the implementation of the search warrants," the resolution read.

The complaints for planting of evidence filed against all the respondents are likewise dismissed for "lack of evidence."

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed murder charges against 24 members of the CIDG last December following the controversial death of Espinosa on November 5.

The NBI in its investigation found that the two inmates were killed in a rubout and not a shootout as claimed by the suspects.

Espinosa, named by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte to be on the narco list, was the father of self-confessed Eastern Visayas drug trader Kerwin Espinosa.

The older Espinosa's death has prompted Kerwin to surrender to operatives and cooperate in the investigations against illegal drug trading in the country. (SunStar Philippines)

Related Stories

No stories found.
SunStar Publishing Inc.
www.sunstar.com.ph