NBI: Espinosa slay crime scene not preserved

The crime scene in the killing of Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. had not been preserved, an official of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Wednesday.

The Albuera, Leyte mayor was killed in an alleged shoot-out with policemen serving a search warrant inside the Leyte sub-provincial jail in Baybay City early Saturday morning.

The NBI is conducting a parallel investigation upon orders of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II to prevent a whitewash since policemen have been implicated in the incident.

NBI’s forensic team as well as Director Dante Gierran are in Leyte to conduct an investigation.

“They are already in the crime scene to process it but [the crime scene] has not been preserved since the time of the incident early morning Saturday up to yesterday [Tuesday] after our forensic team arrived in Albuera-Baybay, Leyte,” NBI spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin told reporters.

Preserving a crime scene is necessary to protect the evidence that will be collected.

Lavin said they were still hoping to get additional evidence on the crime scene although he admitted there might be problem since more than three days had passed since Espinosa and another inmate, Raul Yap, were killed by personnel of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

“We hope we can get something kasi 72 hours lang ang fingerprints so lumampas na Saturday nangyari,” he added.

The NBI team led by Assistant Regional Director Gerry Abiera will stay in the area for three to five days. The NBI team is composed of eight agents from Manila and Cebu and two agents from Tacloban.

Asked if the NBI already talked to other officials during the investigation, Lavin disclosed the NBI had spoken to the warden and detainees.

The official said it would be up to the Espinosa family if they would request for the NBI to conduct an autopsy on the body of the slain mayor.

Earlier, Aguirre vowed a no-nonsense parallel investigation, adding its objective was to get to the truth “no matter how elusive or inconvenient” it was.

CIDG Region 8 chief Supt. Marvin Marcos defended the conduct of his men in the operation that led to the killing of Espinosa and Yap.

Marcos said Northern Leyte CIDG head Chief Insp. Leo Laraga was able to obtain the search warrants for Espinosa and Yap in the afternoon of Nov. 4 from Judge Tarcelo Sabarre Jr. of the Regional Trial Court Branch 30 in Basey, Samar.

He said Laraga’s team had no other recourse but to immediately implement the warrant to avoid possible leaks that might jeopardize the operation.

Laraga had said they killed the two in self-defense.

Espinosa and son Kerwin were earlier accused by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte of being involved in the illegal drugs trade.

The elder Espinosa surrendered to PNP chief, Director General Ronald dela Rosa, for fear of his life but was allowed to go home until he was arrested last month.

His son, on the other hand, fled the country but was arrested late last month in Abu Dhabi.