PNP defers submission of Espenido probe result

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has deferred the submission of the result of an investigation it conducted on Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido and more than 300 police officers included in the administration’s drug list.

The PNP’s adjudication board was supposed to submit the result to President Duterte yesterday.

It opted to delay the submission due to a helicopter crash in Laguna that injured PNP chief Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa and seven other police officials.

Gamboa said that adjudication board vice chair and directorate for intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Mariel Magaway was among the officers injured in the crash.

He said the PNP was supposed to first submit its findings to Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año.

Gamboa said he is hoping to submit the result of the probe to President Duterte within two weeks.

The Western Visayas police has cleared Espenido of involvement in the illegal drug trade.

Espenido led an anti-drug operation against the members of the influential Parojinog clan in Ozamiz in 2017.

The raid resulted in the deaths of 15 people in an alleged shootout with lawmen.

Espenido was deputy chief for operations of the Bacolod City police before he was relieved from the post last month due to his alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.

Aside from Espenido, two one-star generals are also on Duterte’s drug list.