POLICE Lieutenant Colonel Jovie Espenido was assigned as the deputy city director for operations (DCDO) of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) effective October 16.
Espenido was also formally promoted to the rank of Lt. Colonel yesterday morning.
This was announced by Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan, director of Police Regional Office-Western Visayas, in Iloilo City yesterday.
Police Colonel Henry Biñas, BCPO director, said Espenido's appointment as deputy city director was made after he was consulted by Pamuspusan.
Although there is no exact date yet as to when Espenido will arrive in Bacolod City, Biñas said he will also appoint the deputy director as chief of the BCPO's City Drug Enforcement Unit.
“It was already announced by the regional office so we will wait for the order and we also welcome his reassignment here,” he said.
Espenido will occupy the post of Police Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Pico, who is presently assigned as officer-in-charge DCDO, spokesperson and at the same time the head of Police Community Relations (PCR) of BCPO.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo earlier confirmed that the reassignment of Espenido to Bacolod City was President Rodrigo Duterte’s response to complaints of illegal drugs proliferating in the city.
Binas said that aside from the post of DCDO, Espenido will also head the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU), which is currently occupied by Police Major Ariel Artillero as officer-in-charge.
“We are hopeful that the reassignment of Espenido here will help to address the illegal drugs problem in the city although, our operatives are also doing well in the campaign against illegal drugs,” he said.
He added from October 1, more than P3 million worth of shabu was seized in various areas of Bacolod which is intended for MassKara Festival because of its high demand.
Binas noted that Espenido also called him yesterday about his reassignment in Bacolod.
In 2016, Espenido was the chief of police in Albuera, Leyte, when the town’s then mayor, Rolando Espinosa, who was tagged as drug suspect, was shot to death inside a jail in Baybay City.
The following year, Espenido was reassigned to Ozamiz City where then Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog, who was also linked to illegal drugs, was also killed in a police operation.