Manila's Third District Representative, Cong. Joel Chua expressed his sentiments on Thursday over what he described as an unprecedented breach of the Philippine National Police's (PNP) chain of command. He cited for the first time seeing a Police Chief directly reporting to and receiving instructions from the President, bypassing the supposed protocol.
Chua's statement came after Police Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido testified during a House quad-committee hearing on Wednesday, where he disclosed that he had been in constant communication with former President Rodrigo Duterte during his administration’s "war on drugs" campaign.
In his testimony, Espenido recounted that former PNP Chief and now Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa personally called and assigned him to lead the operations against drug-related individuals in Leyte, which included extrajudicial killings.
"May tinanong ako kung ano ang marching order noong siya [Espinido] ay tinawagan ni [noo'y] PNP Chief Bato Dela Rosa, sabi niya ay 'tapusin' ang drug problem. Tinanong ko kung ano ang pagkakaintindi niya, sabi niya sa kanilang mga pulis by all means kahit pa pumatay," said Chua during an interview on Dos Por Dos.
"Sa dami ng naging biktima, hindi ko alam kung marching order 'to dahil nakita naman natin dati kaliwa't kanan yung mga panahon dati na ganoo. Pero ito ngayon lang ako nakakita ng direct instruction eksakto mismo sa Chief PNP," Chua added.
Chua noted that based on Espenido's demeanor and responses during the hearing, he believed the officer was telling the truth.
"Based on my perception noong tinatanong ko siya kasitinitingnan ko ang kaniyang body language, kung paano siya sumagot, ay mukhang taklagang diretso," he noted.
During the hearing, Espenido also revealed that there was a quota and reward system for capturing or killing drug suspects. He cited instances where Duterte and Dela Rosa personally awarded him for successfully carrying out their orders.
Additionally, Espenido claimed that "the biggest crime group in this country is the PNP."
In his affidavit, Espenido quoted PNP Chief Dela Rosa, saying that dismantling the Parojinog drug operations required a tough officer like him. Espenido was transferred to Ozamiz after a phone call with Dela Rosa, and President Duterte later announced that Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog was on his drug list.
Espenido met with Parojinog, offering him a chance to surrender, but the mayor refused. A year later, on July 30, 2017, police conducted a raid that led to the deaths of 16 people, including Mayor Parojinog and his wife.
"We enforced them through a simultaneous search around 2:00 AM of July 30, 2017, a Sunday. 16 people were killed in these police operations, including Mayor Parojinog and his wife," Espenido said in his affidavit.
Chua emphasized that more revelations are expected in upcoming hearings.
"Tingin ko ang kahapong hearing ay maraming na-unravelled sa mga salaysay. Tingin ko marami pang mga susunod na revelation at tingnan natin ang mga susunod na pangyayari," said the lawmaker.
Espenido is currently on "floating status" within the PNP, a common practice for officers approaching retirement. He has indicated his intention to retire soon.
