Espenido to lead Bacolod City’s drug war

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Controversial police official Jovie Espenido will lead Bacolod City’s anti-drug campaign.

Brig. Gen. Rene Pamuspusan, Western Visayas police director, said he would issue an order designating Espenido, who was promoted as lieutenant colonel yesterday, as Bacolod City police deputy director for operations.

Pamuspusan said Espenido would be concurrent chairman of the oversight committee on illegal drugs.

He said Espenido’s new post is “critical,” noting that Bacolod City is the “most problematic area” in Western Visayas as far as illegal drugs is concerned.

When asked if the campaign against illegal drugs in Bacolod City would be bloody under his leadership, Espenido said, “if God’s will.”

 “Sa atin trabaho lang... The rule of law, yun naman ang pinangarap ng Presidente natin,” he told reporters after a courtesy call on Pamuspusan yesterday.

“We are policemen, not criminals... We follow the PNP mantra to serve and protect,” Espenido added.

He said his appointment does not mean  that he is better than his colleagues.

“Trabaho lang ang sa akin. Siguro yung strategy, iba naman,” he said.

Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog, his wife and several other family members were killed in drug raids when Espenido was the town’s police chief.

It was also during Espenido’s term as police chief of Albuera, Leyte when Mayor Rolando Espinosa, who was detained on drug charges, was killed in an alleged shootout with police officers serving a search warrant.