MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Tuesday vouched for the character of relieved Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido despite his inclusion in the Philippine National Police’s narcolist.
Espenido, the poster boy of the Duterte administration’s brutal campaign against illegal drugs, was recently relieved as deputy director for operations of the Bacolod City Police Office. He became controversial following the deaths of Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. in Albuera, Leyte who was shot while in detention in 2016, and Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog in Ozamiz City, where he was both previously assigned in 2017.
“Hindi lang na-validate kaya umabot hanggang ganitong panahon na ito. Kaya nalagay siya sa listahan. Pero I can vouch for him. I am sure, malulusutan nya ‘yan. (The list has yet to be validated that’s why until now, his name is on the list. But I can vouch for him. I am sure he will get through this),” said dela Rosa of the narcolist that included Espenido.
“Depende ha, dependa sa ebidensya na lalabas during the validation. Pero ako, I’m very positive knowing him personally… malinis siya (But it will depend on the evidence against him during the validation. But for me, I’m very positive knowing him personally… he’s clean),” the senator clarified.
Dela Rosa, himself a former PNP chief, said Espenido’s inclusion in the drugs list came to him as a surprise, but claimed that it was to be expected.
“Nagulat ako, pero expected ko na yan. (I was surprised but I expected it),” he told reporters in an interview
According to Dela Rosa, if a police officer—who has an active role in the anti-illegal drug war—clashed with a so-called narco cop, then he may find himself included in the list.
“Ikaw, very active ka sa anti-drug operations tapos ngayon may nasagasaan na isang narco cop, na narco cop na yun nasa intelligence community rin, pwede ka gawan, reresbakan ka ng isang narco cop na yan by creating derogatory report against you. So ang unit naman na mag-recieve niyan hangga’t hindi na validate, it will stay there,” dela Rosa said.
(You, who is very active in the anti-drug operations and then you clash with a narco cop that is within the intelligence community, they would try to get even and create a derogatory report against you. So the receiving unit will get a hold of that report and your name will stay on the list until it is validated.)
“Reresbakan ka. That’s how dirty the drug problem is. Ngayon good boy ka bukas maging bad boy ka. Ngayon bad boy ka. Bukas pwede kang maging good boy, kita mo yung impluwensya ng sindikato?” he added.
(They will want to get even. That’s how dirty the drug problem is. Today, you’re the good boy, tomorrow you may be considered as the bad boy, see how influential drug syndicates are?)