Lacson, Drilon smell ‘cover-up’ in Supt. Marcos’ liability

Supt. Marvin Marcos —RICHARD A. REYES / INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

(Updated, 3:14 p.m.) There’s an obvious cover-up for Supt. Marvin Marcos and other cops behind the killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr.

Senators Franklin Drilon and Panfilo Lacson surmised this after the Senate committees on public order and drugs, and justice and human rights probed the controversial reinstatement of Marcos and 18 other members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Eastern Visayas (CIDG-8).

“What this hearing confirmed is the conspiracy to cover up the liability of Supt. Marcos,” Drilon told reporters after the four-hour hearing on Wednesday.

READ: Bato flip-flops on Duterte influence in reassignment of Supt. Marcos


“Instead of being able to explain what happened, it’s obvious in the hearing today that there’s a deliberate cover up in order to allow Supt. Marcos and group to be reinstated and to be able to post bail,” Drilon said.

BACKSTORY: Senate probers find cover-up in mayor’s killing

Coddling Marcos

Lacson, a former police chief himself, said after the hearing, the Senators now have all the reason to suspect that the Duterte administration is protecting Marcos and his men for killing Espinosa and a fellow inmate inside a Leyte jail.

BACKSTORY: Lacson on reinstatement of Supt. Marcos, 18 other cops: P***** Ina!

“Apparently, meron talagang hindi sinasabi at kailangan ma-ferret out pa natin (Apparently, something’s not being said, and we still have to ferret that out),” Lacson said in an ambush interview.

“We have all the reason to suspect na parang kina-coddle masyado si Supt. Marcos dito (that Supt. Marcos is being coddled here),” he said.

In the hearing, Justice Undersecretary Reynante Orceo maintained that he acted on his own when he downgraded the charges against Marcos and his men from murder to homicide.

“The secretary doesn’t have any hand in the draft of this resolution. I personally made it. The Justice Secretary didn’t intervene,” Orceo said during Drilon’s turn to interpellate.

Quizzed by Drilon about his background, Orceo said he’s a San Beda alumnus and is a Lex Talionis fraternity brother of President Rodrigo Duterte and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.

Orceo further explained that in reversing the Department of Justice’s decision to charge Marcos with murder, he admitted that he did not consider the findings of the Senate which concluded that the killing of Espinosa was premeditated.

Lacson then said in jest: “Nahirapan ako magtanong (I am having a difficult time asking questions),” to which Drilon replied, “Ako nga, nahirapan maniwala (I find it difficult to believe them).”

After the inquiry, Lacson, who chairs the committee on public order, told reporters Aguirre might be summoned in the next hearing. IDL