Espenido to assume Iloilo post after...
ILOILO CITY – Days after he was named Iloilo City police officer-in-charge (OIC), Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido has yet to assume his post.
It’s for a reason, Espenido said over Aksyon Radyo Iloilo yesterday.
While he had received the order to be assigned in this city, Espenido said he still has an “important job” in Ozamiz City. This is to run after Arthur Parojinog, the brother of slain Ozamiz Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog, and other members of criminal gangs in the city.
Arthur went into hiding after the mayor was killed in a series of raids on the houses of their family in Ozamiz, which also left 14 other people dead.
“Hintayin lang. Huwag magmadali. Darating tayo diyan (Just wait. Don’t hurry. We will come to that),” Espenido said when asked when he would assume his new post.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said he assigned Espenido as Iloilo City police OIC in compliance with President Duterte’s directive.
Dela Rosa said he would have wanted Espenido to remain in Ozamiz City even as he credited Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog for his campaign against illegal drugs.
Safety concerns
Meanwhile, the Mabilogs expressed concern about their safety with Espenido at the helm of the city police.
“We just don’t want to experience what happened...to other families. We are a simple family here. We love to serve the public and the people of Iloilo,” a brother of Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, JV, said.
However, JV gave an assurance that their family is willing to work with Espenido.
Espenido was the police chief of Albuera, Leyte when Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. was killed during a raid on his detention cell at the Baybay City jail.
On the impression that someone will die in the areas where he is assigned, Espenido said it is “God’s will.”
“Huwag kang gumawa ng masama para hindi ka mamatay (Don’t do anything bad so you wont die). The wages of sin is death. That’s according to the Bible. Huwag matakot. Kung ikaw ay mabuting tao hindi ka pahihintulutan ng Panginoon na madisgrasya. (Don’t be afraid.If you are good, the Lord won’t let anything bad happen to you),” Espenido said.
1 hurt in sting
In a related development, a suspected drug pusher was wounded in an alleged shootout with anti-drug operatives in Agusan del Sur yesterday.
Romeo Sulmeron was wounded when he reportedly fired at police operatives serving a search warrant at his residence in Barangay San Francisco, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Sulmeron is a known drug pusher in his barangay. Sachets of shabu with an estimated value of P11,800, drug paraphernalia and a .38-caliber revolver were recovered from the suspect, police said.
In Bulacan, Christopher Dave Colangoy, 31, and Janel Roldan, 20, yielded 500 grams of shabu with an estimated street value of P2.5 million in Barangay San Vicente, Sta. Maria.
Fourteen other drug suspects were arrested in anti-drug operations in Obando, Baliuag, Bustos, San Miguel, San Rafael, Pandi and Meycauayan also in Bulacan; one each in Rizal, Quezon and Baguio City; two in Cavite, five in Batangas and eight in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.