CIDG Region 8 Director Marvin Marcos during the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Joint with the Committee on Justice and Human Right probe on killing Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. at the Session Hall of Senate, Pasay City. INQUIRER PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES
It was one of those conversations with her husband that Mylene Son would never forget.
On the night of Sept. 15 this year, Police Chief Insp. Jesus “Jim” Son told his wife: “Baka hanggang ngayon o bukas na lang ang buhay ko (My life might end today or tomorrow).”
Her husband was no stranger to death threats, Mylene said. Known as a tough police officer in Leyte, Son was not the type who would be shaken by any threat. But that night, Mylene said, he talked about being killed like he was so sure it would happen and that he knew who would do it.
“He told me who threatened him and that he also told his closest friend about it,” Mylene recounted.
On Monday, Dec. 5, Mylene will face the Senate inquiry on invitation by the committee headed by Sen. Panfilo Lacson. “Sasabihin ko ang lahat ng katotohanang nalalaman ko (I will tell all that I know),” she said.
Son told Mylene about a direct threat from Supt. Marvin Marcos, Region 8’s chief of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
“Mainit daw sa kanya si Supt. Marcos kasi hindi niya ginawa ang inuutos sa kanya na ‘project.’ Gusto daw tignan kung hanggang saan talaga ang tapang ng asawa ko (He said Marcos was mad because he did not do the project assigned to him. My husband said Marcos wanted to see how far he’d go in defying him),” Mylene said.
Son and Marcos were not on speaking terms because in a previous local election, Marcos’ wife, Marites, had run against Edgar Empillo Sr., Son’s father-in-law, for the vice mayoral post in Pastrana town, Leyte. Son’s father-in-law won, while Marcos’ wife placed third in the race.
Making amends
Then sometime in August, Marcos started talking to Son again, Mylene said, adding that her husband thought it was because the CIDG head wanted to make amends for his previous hostility.
Son did not realize that Marcos was trying to lure him into doing a very sensitive “project,” Mylene said.
The “project” targeted someone who had identified key personalities involved in the proliferation of illegal drugs in Eastern Visayas, as well as government and police officials who had received protection money for the illegal drugs trade of Kerwin Espinosa.
Mylene said her husband told her the “project” was a hit on Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa. “Marcos asked my husband if he has an asset who could kill Espinosa for a P500,000 fee. Son said he’d look for one; he felt pressured to do it. Then a close relative and friend advised my husband not to do it because Mayor Espinosa was under the witness protection program. He just might become a fall guy,” Mylene recalled her husband telling her.
On the night of Sept. 15, Son on his joint Facebook account with his wife, posted this message, “Pulis sa pulis … putangina mo!!! offer ka nga, naka witness protection program naman …. tapos double cross mo kami … ala ka bayag … subukin mo ako hamunin nang harapan … I’m sure may mamamatay sa atin!!! Wag mo ako traidurin!!! Di kita uurungan! (Cop versus cop … son of a whore! You made an offer on [a guy under] the witness protection program then you dare double cross us. You have no balls. Why don’t you fight me face to face? I’m sure one of us will die. Don’t double cross me! I will not back down).”
Ambushed
The message was addressed to Marcos, according to Mylene. At that time, Mayor Espinosa was still in the custody of Albuera Police Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido.
The following day, Son was ambushed by unidentified assailants along the national highway of Barangay Piilit, Sta. Fe in Leyte province. Initial investigation reports said the ambush was work-related because Son was a former intelligence officer of Leyte’s Anti-Drugs Group and had received recognition and commendations for several antidrug operations.
“That morning, he was so happy. He woke me and said, it’s Friday, I’ll be attending the flag-raising ceremony,” Mylene recalled. Her husband also promised to go home after the flag-raising ceremony to help a neighbor who had been robbed.
“He left past 6 and I texted him saying I’ll wait for him at the Snack Haus so we could go home together,” Mylene said. But until 9 that morning, there was no response to her message. At past 9, Son texted back. “Pauwi na ako (on my way home)” and she had responded, “OK. Love u.” It was the last communication between husband and wife.
By 10, Mylene got suspicious when some friends checked on her. Was she at the Snack Haus? Was she with her husband? they wanted to know. “My friends knew that no matter how difficult it was for me, I would always go with my husband wherever he might be assigned. I want someone to converse with,” Mylene said, not knowing that her friends already knew about her husband’s ambush when they called her.
On Nov. 5, Mayor Espinosa was killed by a CIDG team led by Marcos inside a subprovincial jail in Leyte.
Powerful backers?
Weeks after that, Mylene sought the Inquirer for help, fearing that Marcos would go after her and her children next. She wanted to talk as early as three weeks ago but became hesitant when she saw Marcos’ demeanor during the Senate inquiry led by Lacson.
“Ang lakas ng loob niya, parang may ipinagmamalaki. Paano ka magsasalita laban sa taong ganun kalakas ang loob na parang nakasandal sa pader? (He sounded so sure, so confident like he has powerful backers. How can you talk against someone who has such strong connections?)”
Recently, Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa revealed that someone higher than him had asked that Marcos be reinstated as CIDG Region 8 Director.
Soon after, as speculation grew about Dela Rosa’s compadre who had interceded for Marcos, President Duterte himself admitted that it was him, through Secretary Bong Go, who had ordered Marcos’ reinstatement.
He needed the CIDG head back in his post, the President said, because he was still conducting an investigation on Marcos and was trying to piece together his connections in the illegal drugs trade.