Duterte to extend legal aid to cops linked to mayor’s killing

AP Photo

President Duterte will employ legal means to support police officers facing murder charges for the death of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa, said yesterday.

“The President will look for ways so that they won’t go to jail. Maybe, when the arrest warrant will come out, appeal to the issuing court may be sought to lower the offense from murder to just homicide so that they can post bail. It does not mean the President will violate the rule of law and legal procedures,” Dela Rosa said at a press conference in Camp Crame.

“He (Duterte) is not saying that he will violate the law by hiding or allowing them to escape so that they won’t go to jail. No, that’s not his intention. He just want to let  PNP feel that ‘I am with you in this war on drugs,’” Dela Rosa added.

Looking for lawyer

In Malacañang, Marie Banaag, a presidential communications assistant secretary, said Mr. Duterte would extend help to Marcos and his men “in the form of legal assistance.”

Dela Rosa said Mr. Duterte’s support may include looking for lawyer to defend Supt. Marvin Marcos and other officers of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Eastern Visayas whom the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) recommended charged with murder.

The President said he respected the NBI’s findings.

Marcos and the other officers were serving a search warrant on Espinosa at the Leyte subprovincial jail in Baybay City on Nov. 5 but he was killed when he tried to fight back using a gun, according to the police. The NBI said it was a rubout, as the mayor had no gun.

Administrative probe

Dela Rosa said the PNP’s Internal Affairs Section was continuing its administrative investigation of Marcos and the others in connection with Espinosa’s death and allegations by the late mayor’s son, suspected drug lord Kerwin, that Marcos’ group received protection money from him.

The PNP chief said other policemen might become demoralized if Marcos and his group, whose defense has yet to be disproved in a court trial, would be abandoned by the President at the first instance.

“I myself want to find ways to help them, but they must still face their cases,” Dela Rosa said.

Malacañang doused cold water on insinuations that Mr. Duterte’s defense of Marcos and his men was proof that he had ordered the killing of the mayor.

Asked if the President ordered Espinosa’s killing, Banaag said: “That’s not true… The President does not have anything to do with the Espinosa slay.”