De Lima calls for Senate probe on Duterte order to reinstate CIDG-8 chief

Sen. Leila de Lima yesterday said the admission by President Duterte that it was he who initiated the reinstatement of Philippine National Police (PNP) Superintendent Marvin Marcos, who has been linked to the illegal drugs trade, should be the subject of a Senate inquiry.

“After the Peter Lim episode, where a supposed drug lord kumpadre of the President is allowed to leave the country, we must start asking ourselves this question: whether or not the President, rather than De Lima, is actually the number one drug lord protector and coddler in this country,’’ De Lima said.

De Lima is thus trying to turn the tables on President Duterte after the President admitted in a press briefing Friday night in Davao City that he had Marcos reinstated after the police officer and his men were placed under restrictive orders by PNP chief Director General Roland “Bato’’ dela Rosa.

De Lima’s back has been repeatedly pushed against the wall by President Duterte for alleged immorality and for alleged receipt of millions of pesos from kingpins in the multi-billion-peso illegal drug trade.

Marcos and his men at the region 8 PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) were placed under restrictive custody by Dela Rosa after Kerwin Espinosa, the alleged drug lord, testified before the Senate that he had Marcos and his men under his payroll.

A team of PNP officers led by Marcos allegedly rubbed out Kerwin’s father, Albuerra, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa, in his jail cell.