DOJ closes probe

The cases against the Philippine National Police (PNP) Eastern Visayas raiding team accused of conspiring to kill Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa inside his detention cell in November last year have been submitted for resolution.

The prosecutors on Thursday’s preliminary investigation at the Department of Justice (DOJ) closed the investigation after four hearings on the multiple murder complaints filed against 24 members of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the PNP Maritime Unit Region 8.

This was after the members of the team, led by Police Superintendent Marvin Marcos, submitted their respective counter-affidavits answering the complaints of Kerwin Espinosa.

Kerwin, son of the slain mayor, filed a supplemental complaint-affidavit as private respondent in the last preliminary investigation.

Aside from the murder charges, the five-man panel of prosecutors, led by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Lilian Doris Alejo, will also decide on the complaints against the policemen for their malicious procurement of search warrants against Espinosa and another slain inmate, Raul Yap.

Espinosa and Yap were detained at the Baybay Leyte, sub provincial jail when the CIDG secured warrants to search the two for illegal drugs and firearms. CIDG agents served the warrants on November 5.

The PNP claimed that a shootout transpired after Espinosa fired a gun at them.

The claims of the PNP, however, were challenged by the NBI after it concluded that the incident was a rubout and not a shootout, and that the authorities conspired and planned the killing of both inmates.