Will widow testify at Senate?

Senator Panfilo Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

It is not certain whether Mylene Son, who has linked controversial Supt. Marvin Marcos to the killing of her husband, will show up today in what could be the last Senate hearing into the Nov. 5 killing of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who is leading the Senate inquiry, said on Sunday that the last time his committee on public order and dangerous drugs heard from Son was last week.

“At first, she indicated her desire to testify, but now it’s not clear because they relayed (to us) her family was scared and whether protection can be given them. They are so scared of Marcos,” Lacson said in a dzBB program.

He said he would ask Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa to explain why Marcos and his men in the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Eastern Visayas (Region 8) were freed after Espinosa’s killing, as well as his “flimsy” excuse that they were reinstated for humanitarian reasons.

Dela Rosa said the men were freed last week to allow them to file their counteraffidavits, an act which Lacson said was “unforgivable.”

Defenseless witnesses

Lacson pointed out that over 20 witnesses against Marcos and his men, mostly inmates and jail guards at the Baybay subprovincial jail where Mayor Espinosa was killed, might be cowed into recanting their statements.

“They are so defenseless if their cells will be entered again,” said Lacson, a former PNP chief.

Son told the Inquirer that her husband, Chief Insp. Jesus Son, during their talk on Sept. 15, had said Marcos wanted him dead for failing to do a “project”—a hit on Espinosa.

Marcos had asked him to look for an asset who would be paid P500,000 to kill the mayor for naming government and police officials protecting his son, confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, she said.

But Son said her husband did not heed Marcos’ request. On Sept. 16, Son’s husband was killed in an ambush.

Lacson said he had sought the retrieval of the incident, progress and investigation reports of the killing of Son’s husband.

Corroborative proof

While Mylene’s claim may be considered hearsay, the senator said she could present evidence to corroborate her story.

“If her testimony is material and she will provide evidence, she can be considered under the witness protection program,” Lacson said.

He said the lifting of the restrictive custody order could constitute obstruction in the investigation being conducted by the Internal Affairs Service and the Department of Justice.

Lacson said he did not think President Duterte did anything illegal when he ordered Dela Rosa to reinstate Marcos and his men after Kerwin Espinosa told police officials who went to see him in Abu Dhabi earlier where he had gone into hiding that these officers were on his payroll.

“You can give the President the benefit of the doubt,” he said of Mr. Duterte’s admission he had asked his special assistant, Christopher “Bong” Go, to call up Dela Rosa to reinstate Marcos.

PNP demoralization

Lacson confirmed that many in the PNP had been demoralized because of this move.

“There is information why Marcos and his men are influential but I’m not ready to say because I’m still validating the information why Marcos is strong in Davao,” he said.

Presidential Communications Secretay Martin Andanar yesterday was asked in a radio interview about accusations by Lacson and Sen. Leila de Lima that Mr. Duterte was employing a “double standard” in his war on drugs.

“Any suggestion and objective criticism coming from the Senate, from our wise men in the Senate, are accepted wholeheartedly and we shall be guided by any suggestion and any criticism as long as they are objective,” he said. —WITH A REPORT FROM MARLON RAMOS