Palace urges public to respect PNP decision to keep Espenido in Ozamiz

In this photo, taken Aug. 28, 2017, Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido is interviewed by the media following the commemoration of National Heroes Day at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig. (Photo by BULLIT MARQUEZ / AP)

Malacañang urged the public on Sunday to respect the decision of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to cancel the assigment of Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido to Iloilo City.

“This is the decision reached by the leadership of the Philippine National Police following the established policies and procedures in the transfer, reassignment and designation of their personnel,” presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

“Everyone is enjoined to respect the order of the high command,” he added

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier announced Espenido’s reassignment from Ozamiz City to Iloilo City, which the he tagged as the “drug bedrock of Visayas.”

Espenido earned Duterte’s praise when he, as Ozamiz City police chief, spearheaded the raids on the houses of the Parojinog clan, which led to the death of Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. and 14 others.

He was also the police chief of Albuera, Leyte, when Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. was killed in an alleged shootout inside the Leyte Sub-Provincial Jail in Baybay City.

In his speech, Duterte also particularly mentioned the name of Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog as one of those allegedly involved in illegal drugs.

“Ngayon, gusto mo sa Iloilo, kasi si Mabilog has been identified as a protector mayor. Mabuhay kaya siya?” Duterte said during his National Heroes’’ Day speech.

(“Now you want to be assigned to Iloilo since Mabilog has been identified as a protector? Would he live?”)

READ: Duterte assigns Espenido to Iloilo City—Visayas’ ‘drug bedrock’

Despite this, Chief Supt. Cesar Hawthorne Binag, Western Visayas police director, said on Saturday Espenido would remain with the Northern Mindanao Police Regional Office. /atm

READ: Espenido transfer to Iloilo canceled