In this December 6, 2016 file photo, Supt. Marvin Marcos answers questions posed by Senator Leila de Lima during the Senate inquiry into the Nov. 5, 2016 killings of suspected drug trafficker, Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. and his jail cell mate, Raul Yap.
EDWIN BACASMAS/INQUIRER
BAYBAY CITY, Leyte — The local court has ordered the arrest of the leaders and members of the raiding team who shot and killed Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. while in detention on Nov. 5, 2016.
Judge Carlos Arguelles of the Regional Trial Court Branch 14 here issued the warrants against Supt. Marvin Marcos, head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Eastern Visayas (CIDG-8) and 18 others involved in the pre-dawn raid of the cells of Espinosa and another inmate, Raul Yap, at the sub-provincial jail of Baybay last Nov. 5.
No bail was recommended for the CIDG-8 operatives.
The warrants, which were released on Friday, stemmed from the multiple murder charges filed by the National Bureau of Investigation after its investigation showed that the killings of the mayor and Yap were a rubout orchestrated by CIDG-8 led by Marcos.
Sources from the Police Regional Office in Eastern Visayas (PRO-8) told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that Marcos and Supt. Santi Noel Matira surrendered at the CIDG-8 office in Tacloban about 6:30 a.m. on Monday with other CIDG-8 operatives.
Aside from Matira and Marcos, also named in the arrest warrants were Chief Insp. Leo Larraga, Senior Insp. Fritz Blanco, Senior Insp. Doegracias Diaz,Insp Lucredito Candilosas, SPO4 Melvin Cayubit, PO3 Johnny Ibañez, SPO4 Juanito Duarte, PO1 Lloyd Ortigueza, PO1 Bhernard Orpilla, SPO2 Benjamin Dacallos, PO3 Norman Abellanosa, PO1 Jerlans Cabiyaan, PO1 Clixto Canillas Jr., SPO1 Mark Christian Cadilo, PO2 John Ruel Doculan and PO2 Jaime Dacsal.
The Inquirer went to the CIDG-8 headquarters on Monday afternoon but was not allowed to go inside the compound by the security guard.
“Bawal po (It is not allowed),” was the only explanation given to Inquirer.
Matira was the supervising officer of the raid conducted on the cells of Yap and Espinosa about 3 a.m. of Nov. 5 purportedly due to reports that they had not stopped selling illegal drugs inside the facility.
The CIDG-8 claimed that the two put up a fight, even if the cells were dark after the lights were turned off, prompting the operatives to shoot them back.
But both the Senate inquiry and the NBI investigation showed that neither Yap nor Espinosa was armed at that time of the raid.
In a joint 34-page report, Senate committees on public order and dangerous drugs, and on justice and human rights, said Marcos and his men were guilty of grave abuse of authority and were involved in the premeditated killing of the mayor.
They cited the testimony of the mayor’s son, Kerwin, in the Senate inquiry, that Marcos and some members of the raiding team were under his payroll when he was running a drug syndicate in Eastern Visayas – an allegation strongly denied by the police chief.
Kerwin is now detained at the Camp Crame in Quezon City, Philippine National Police headquarters, pending resolution of the drug charges against him.
The Senate report showed that the mayor was silenced by “individuals who wanted their participation concealed” and that they happened to have access and means to kill Espinosa “through abuse of their authority.”
In an earlier interview, Jonah John Ungab, lawyer of the Espinosas, said that the Senate report would help boost their case against the CIDG-8 operatives for the killing of Espinosa. (With a report from Joey A. Gabieta, INQ) SFM