Supt. Marvin Marcos (right) and one of his coaccused in the murder of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. arrive at the court that issued arrest warrants for them. —ROBERT DEJON
The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said the 19 police officers arrested for the murder of Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. of Albuera, Leyte, will not get any special treatment from their own unit, which has temporarily taken custody of the accused.
PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos said Supt. Marvin Marcos, former chief of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Region 8, and 18 other policemen will be treated like ordinary suspects although they are detained at the CIDG Region 8 office.
“There is no special treatment and we will follow the order of the court as to where they will be detained eventually,” Carlos said in a press briefing.
“They are accused in an incident and they will be treated as such. Our colleagues in CIDG Region 8 will do their job in detaining these personnel in their office after they were arrested,” he added.
Baybay Judge Carlos Arguelles issued two arrest warrants against Marcos and the others.
Besides Marcos, the other defendants were identified as Supt. Santi Noel G. Matira, Chief Insp. Leo D. Laraga, SPO4 Melvin M. Cayobit, PO3 Johnny A. Ibañez, Chief Insp. Calixto C. Canillas Jr., SPO4 Juanito A. Duarte, PO1 Lloyd O. Ortigueza, Senior Insp. Fritz B. Blanco, PO1 Bhernard R. Orpilla, Senior Insp. Deogacias P. Diaz III, SPO2 Benjamin L. Dacallos, PO3 Norman T. Abellanosa, PO1 Jerlan S. Cabiyaan, Insp. Lucrecito A. Candilosas, SPO2 Antonio R. Docil, SPO1 Mark Christian Cadilo, PO2 Jhon Ruel Doculan, and PO2 Jaime P. Bacsal.
According to Region 8 director, Chief Superintendent Elmer C. Beltejar, the respondents were booked after they submitted themselves “for accounting and investigation.”
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed multiple murder charges against Marcos and his men for the killing of Espinosa and another inmate on Nov. 5. The NBI said it was a “rubout.”
Searching for drugs and firearms, Marcos and a unit of the CIDG-Region 8 raided the cells of Espinosa and the other inmate in the Baybay sub-provincial jail.
Marcos said Espinosa and the other inmate were killed after they fired at the raiders.
Senators described Espinosa’s killing as “premeditated” due to the suspicious manner in which the CIDG team carried out the raid.
President Duterte, however, stood by Marcos and his men, saying a few days after the killing that he saw nothing puzzling in the death of Espinosa.
He later said he will not allow the officers to go to prison, but also told the NBI to file charges against Marcos and the others.