DIREKTANG iniuugnay ng isang opisyal ng Philippine National Police (PNP) si Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa bilang protektor ng pinaghihinalaang drug lord, kasabay ang kanyang pagsabi na ang kapulisan ang “biggest crime group” sa bansa.

Ito ang ginawang pagsisiwalat ni Col. Jovie Espenido, na kasalukuyang nasa “floating status” sa PNP, na inaasahang magreretiro sa Oktubre, sa kaniyang pagharap sa ikatlong pagdinig ng quad committee ng Kamara de Representantes noong Miyerkules.

Isinalaysay ni Espenido sa komite ang kaniyang karanasan bilang hepe ng pulisya sa bayan ng Albuera sa Leyte at Ozamiz City sa Misamis Occidental, na sinabing ang mga matataas na opisyal ng PNP ang nagbibigay ng proteksyon sa mga sindikato ng iligal na droga at big-time drug lords.

Ikinuwento ni Espenido ang kanyang mga karanasan sa pagwasak sa operasyon ng iligal na droga ng hinihinalang drug lord na si Kerwin Espinosa sa Leyte at ni Ozamiz Mayor Reynaldo “Aldong” Parojinog, kung saan natuklasan niya kung sinu-sino ang mga matataas na opisyal ng PNP na sangkot sa iligal na kalakalan ng droga

“I believe Chief Dela Rosa was involved in the dismissal of the cases that l built up against Kerwin Espinosa including the burying of the cases that I was building against his police protectors or coddlers who have been receiving money from him,” ayon kay Espenido.

“I can say this because instead of allowing my unhampered access on Kerwin when he was apprehended in Dubai, he immediately ordered Kerwin’s turnover to AIDG (PNP Anti-Illegal Drug Group) instead of ordering his turnover to my unit which was then investigating the drug cases where Kerwin was involved,” dagdag pa nito.

“In the same vein, I have never heard again of the cases that were supposed to be filed against Kerwin’s protectors, or if they actually have been filed in the first place given that decisive evidence establishing their guilt, that is, the logbook and the copies of the cleared checks in the name of these people are still in the custody of the PNP,” ani Espenido.

“Parojinog’s family had the same experience as Melvin Odicta and Kerwin Espinosa. Police elements helped them set up their drug operations,” salaysay pa ni Espenido.

“From my experience, I can say that the PNP is the biggest crime group in this country. I did my job faithfully but I could not be promoted because I am always in some derogatory list,” ayon pa kay Espenido na binasa ang kanyang sinumpaang salaysay sa pagdinig ng quad comm.

“They are the front men labeled as drug lords. But in truth, there can be no drug lords without policemen protecting them,” deklara pa nito sa kanyang affidavit.

Sinabi pa ni Espenido na may listahan si Mayor Espinosa ng mga police generals at iba pang opisyal ng PNP na tumatanggap ng payola mula sa kanilang grupo, ayon sa nakasaad sa ledger at sa mga kopya ng mga cleared checks na nakuha mula sa kanilang accountant, kung saan ang ilan sa kanila ay binigyan pa ng tseke upang maiwasan ang pagdodoble.

Ayon pa kay Espenido, ang alkalde ay pinaslang noong Nobyembre 2016 sa isang police operation na pinangungunahan ni PCol. Marvin Marcos upang isilbi ang isang search warrant kaugnay ng mga iligal umano nitong baril at iligal na droga sa loob ng Baybay provincial jail.

“I personally reported to PNP Chief Dela Rosa at his office in Camp Crame to submit my accomplishment report in my police operations in Albuera. In that meeting, however, he told me that Kerwin Espinosa had alleged that I was on the take from his group for 20,000 pesos per month. I told him I was ready to resign if there was evidence that I received money from Kerwin as there is no truth as to this,” ayon pa sa kaniya.

“I was eventually cleared by Kerwin who said I was the only one who did not get money from him and his group in one of the Senate Hearings where he was invited as a resource speaker,” dagdag pa nito.

Sinabi pa ni Espenido, ang Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) ang humawak sa mga kaso laban kay Kerwin Espinosa at kalaunan ay ibinasura ang mga ito.

“Next thing I knew, l was already being sent off to be killed in Ozamiz City in the guise of dismantling the drug operations there,” aniya.

Ikinuwento ni Espenido na itinalaga siya bilang hepe ng pulisya ng Albuera dalawang linggo matapos maging pangulo si dating Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte, kung saan sinabi niya na si Sen. Dela Rosa, na noo’y hepe ng PNP, ang pumili sa kanya para “trabahuhin” ang umano’y operasyon ng droga ni Kerwin Espinosa.

“I was personally handpicked by former PNP Chief Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa after residents of Albuera petitioned for my designation. I was supposedly the only one capable of disbanding the Kerwin Espinosa drug group operating from that area. PNP Chief Bato told me these in a phone call, after he introduced himself to me (during the said call),” kuwento pa ni Espenido.

“In my 18 days as Albuera COP, I was able to disband the group of Kerwin Espinosa… Kerwin’s father, Mayor Rolando Espinosa, then Mayor of Albuera surrendered to me. Later, Kerwin’s henchmen who were involved in the drug trade followed suit, by surrendering to me,” dagdag pa niya.

Ayon pa kay Espenido, si Mayor Espinosa ay inilipat sa Sub-Provincial Jail sa Baybay City sa Leyte mula sa kaniyang protective custody sa Albuera.

“While in protective custody, Mayor Espinosa submitted affidavits including a ledger that contained the names of PNP officials and personnel who received money from their drug operations.

These were all documented through a video recording,” saad pa nito.

“As such, I have learned that top PNP officials were receiving money from the Espinosas. With this, I have initiated cases against these PNP officials until my relief. Later, I have turned over these logbook, copies of cleared checks and affidavits with PBGen. Franco Simburio, then PNP Provincial Director of Leyte,” ayon pa kay Espenido.

“The entries in the ledger or logbook implicating police officials were regularly made by Kerwin Espinosa’s Accountant/Secretary in the name of Virbeca Diano to avoid duplication of payouts.

According to Mayor Espinosa and as confirmed by Virbeca Diano, these payouts were being made to allow their unhampered drug operation in Region 8 including some parts of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. I did not allow the deletion of names from the book,” paglalahad niya.

Binanggit pa ni Espenido na noong Agosto 2016, mismong si Pangulong Duterte ang nagsabi na kabilang si Ozamiz City Mayor Parojinog sa talaan ng mga public official na sangkot sa iligal na droga.

Ayon pa sa colonel, sa kanyang pakikipagpulong kay Mayor Parojinog sa loob ng Baptist Church ay sinabi niya rito ang kaniyang misyon upang bigyan na rin ng pagkakataon ang alkalde na kusang sumuko.

“In the said meeting they denied involvement in any illegal activity. Mayor Aldong Parojinog even added that he is just being politically persecuted,” ayon kay Espenido.

“At this time, it was the goons of Mayor Parojinog who were making drug busts. They were called PNP ‘Pulis ni Parojinog.’ These were not meaningful busts because they only arrested the buyers but not the sellers. I learned of this because they bring the people they are apprehending to the police station,” dagdag pa nito. “I also discovered that several pushers had decided to import their supply from Marawi. Parojinog’s ‘PNP’ trained their sights only on the pushers who got their supply from Marawi.”

Marami aniyang pagkakataon na nagpahayag ang alkalde ng pagsuko subalit hindi naman ito natuloy.

Isang search warrant ang inisyu sa kanyang tanggapan at sa CIDG upang halughugin ang tirahan at bukirin ni Mayor Parojinog.

“We enforced them through a simultaneous search around 2:00 a.m. of July 30, 2017, a Sunday. Sixteen people were killed in these police operations, including Mayor Parojinog and his wife,” ayon pa sa kuwento ni Espenido.

“Chief Bato and President Duterte arrived shortly thereafter to congratulate our unit for the successful raid. The Parojinogs had been neutralized. We were even awarded a plaque of recognition,” ayon pa sa kaniya.

Pagkatapos nito, ayon pa sa pahayag ni Espenido ay muli siyang ipinatawag sa Camp Crame, kung saan inakusahan siya ng noon ay PMGen. Archie Gamboa na konektado sa Malaysian drug trafficking group.

Dulot ng paulit-ulit na paguugnay sa kaniyang pangalan sa mga iligal na aktibidad ay isinailalim si Espenido sa floating status simula Abril ng kasalukuyang taon.