THE 19 policemen who are facing charges for the killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa will be detained at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Eastern Visayas, official said Tuesday.
Chief Inspector Teodulo Armada, CIDG-Eastern Visayas deputy director, said the 19 cops, led by former CIDG regional director Superintendent Marvin Marcos, were presented to the court Tuesday, a day after they surrendered to the authorities after the court ordered their arrest.
Baybay, Leyte Regional Trial Court Branch 14 presiding judge Carlos Arguelles has ordered the cops committed to CIDG-Eastern Visayas jail since the Baybay City jail can no longer accommodate them.
Armada, quoting Baybay City jail warden Lourdes Noveda, said the facility can no longer accept more detainees as they now have over 70 inmates, or 300 percent over of the jail's maximum capacity.
But Armada assured that no special treatment will be given to the 19 cops, especially to Marcos who was a CIDG-Eastern Visayas' director.
"Ginagarantiya namin na walang special treatment. Dahil anytime naka-compromise tayo kay judge na anytime magvi-visit siya to inspect kung pinapatupad namin in accordance to his order. Iingatan din namin ang image namin kasi we are located sa mataong area kaya kitang-kita ng tao kung bibigyan namin sila ng special treatment," he said.
On March 16, Baybay, Leyte RTC Branch 14 ordered the arrest of the 19 cops for allegedly plotting the killing of Espinosa and inmate Raul Yap.
The cops are facing murder, robbery and planting of evidence charges, while other two policeman and a civilian witness are facing charges perjury charges for malicious procurement of search warrant.
In the joint report of the Senate committees on public order and dangerous drugs and justice and human rights released March 12, the panel concluded that the operation against Espinosa was "premeditated" and was intended to kill the late mayor.
Espinosa and Yap were killed inside their cell in Baybay provincial jail in Leyte on November 5 by policemen who entered the jail on the basis of a search warrant issued by Basey, Samar Regional Trial Court Branch 30. (SunStar Philippines)