THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has summoned to a preliminary investigation the authorities facing murder charges in relation to the killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa last month.
The head of the five-man panel probing the case, Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Lilian Doris Alejo, has set the preliminary probe on December 20 and January 8, 2017 at 10 a.m.
Pending before the panel are multiple murder charges filed against 24 officials of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Eastern Visayas, namely: Chief Superintendent Marvin Marcos, Superintendent Noel Matira, Chief Inspector Leo Laraga; Senior Inspectors Deogracia Diaz and Fritz Blanco; Senior Police Officers Melvin Cayobit, Eric Constantino, Benjamin Dacallos, Juanito Duarte and Alphinor Serrano Jr.; and Police Officers Johnny Ibanez, Norman Abellanosa, Niel Centino, Bernard Orpilla, Lloyd Ortiguesa, Jerlan Cabiyaan, Cristal Gisma and Divine Grace Songalia.
Also facing the same charges are PNP Regional Maritime Unit 8 personnel: Chief Inspector Calixto Canillas Jr. and Inspector Lucresito Candelosas as well as police officers Antonio Docil, Mark Cadilo, John Ruel Daculan and Jaime Bacsal.
Additional charges are also filed against Laraga, Abellanosa and another witness, former inmate Paul Olendan, for maliciously obtaining a search warrant. Olendan is also facing perjury charges.
Espinosa and another inmate Raul Yap were killed inside their jail cells at the Leyte Sub-provincial jail on November 5 in the hands of the CIDG raiding team who were then serving search warrants for their alleged possession of a firearm and shabu.
After the probe conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation, it has concluded that the killing was a rubout and not a shootout as claimed by the authorities. (Sunnex)