Marcos, 18 cops detained at CIDG cell in Tacloban

Supt. Marvin Marcos and Chief Insp. Leo Larraga appear at the Regional Trial Court in Baybay City on March 21, 2017, after they surrendered to their unit, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Region 8. The two are among the 19 policemen charged with murdering drug suspects, Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., of Albuera town in Leyte, and Raul Yap on Nov. 5, 2016. (PHOTO BY INQUIRER VISAYAS)

BAYBAY CITY, Leyte — At the very least, they are safe from sudden inspections and raids in the dead of the night.

Supt. Marvin Marcos and 18 other members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) will be detained in a cell quite familiar to them, a second home of sorts, the CIDG detention cell in Tacloban City.

The Regional Trial Court in Baybay City allowed the accused in the killing of Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. of Albuera,Leyte, and Raul Yap to stay in the police unit where they were assigned when they raided the detention cells of the victims, killed them and reported it as shootout.

Judge Carlos Arguelles Jr. of the Regional Trial Court Branch 14 here gave weight to the testimony of Baybay city jail warden Lourdes Noveda that there was no more room in the facility, overcrowded by more than 300 percent of its capacity.

She told the court on Tuesday that 75 inmates have been detained in the city jail, which was built for only 25 detainees.

Some inmates, she added, would find a corner to sit during daytime and hang a hammock near the ceiling to sleep in the evening.

Marcos and his co-accused were brought to the sala of Arguelles on Tuesday where the CIDG in Eastern Visayas surrendered the arrest warrants issued by the court for the murder of Espinosa and Yap.

The judge crossed-examined Noveda to determine where to detain the 19 accused in the Espinosa-Yap murders.

Noveda told the court that if the CIDG operatives would be detained at the Baybay city jail, that would mean that every jail guard would be guarding seven inmates.

After Noveda’s testimony, Arguelles allowed the temporary detention of the accused at the CIDG detention cell in Tacloban City.  The judge’s order was based on the Office of the Court Administrator Circular 270 of 2016 that authorizes the executive judge to hold in abeyance or to suspend a commitment order to jail facilities that are overcrowded.

Marcos and 18 other CIDG operatives are facing murder charges for killing Espinosa and Yap during a raid on their detention cells in a sub-provincial jail in Baybay City on Nov. 5.

Over the weekend, Marcos and 18 CIDG operatives surrendered after the court issued a warrant for their arrests.

On Monday, the suspects underwent booking procedure and medical check-up inside the CIDG-8 headquarters located within the port compound of Tacloban City in Leyte.

“They were all silent but were calm. We started the booking proceeding at 8 a.m. and ended past 4 p.m. on Monday,” said Supt. Teodulo Armada, CIDG-8 deputy chief.

“At least two lawyers for each of them were present during the entire proceeding,” Armada said.

“We also conducted medical examinations of the detainees to ensure that they are in good health before we present them in court,” he added.

About 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Marcos and his co-accused boarded three vans and guarded by fellow members of the CIDG as well as members of the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB), presented themselves to Arguelles’ courtroom in Baybay.

Aside from Marcos, also charged were Supt. Noel Matira, Chief Inspector Leo Laraga, SPO4 Melvin Cayobit, PO3 Jhonny Ibañez, Chief Inspector Calixto Canillas, SPO4 Juanito Duarte, POI Lloyd Oeriguesa, Senior Insp. Fritz Blanco, PO1 Bernard Orpilla, Senior Insp.Doegracias Diaz III, SPO2 Benjamin Dacallos, PO3 Norman Abellanosa, PO1 Jerlan Cabiyaan, Inspector Lucrecito Candilosas, SPO2 Antonio Docil,SPO2 Mark Christian Cadilo, PO2 Jhon Ruel Doculan and PO2 Jaime Bascal.

No bail was recommended for their temporary liberty.  SFM/rga