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TACLOBAN CITY — The Philippine National Police (PNP) here has assured the public that there will be no whitewash in the investigation of a shooting incident on Saturday involving Albuera, Leyte mayoralty candidate Kerwin Espinosa.
Col. Dionesio DC Apas Jr., Leyte police provincial police director, made the assurance before the members of the Eastern Visayas Media Without Borders on Saturday morning as he announced that he has received a directive from PNP chief Maj. Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil to conduct a thorough and solid investigation into the shooting of Espinosa.
"There is no sacred cow here," declared Apas, referring to the seven members of the Ormoc City Police Office, including its director, Col. Reydante Ariza.
Ariza and six others, namely Lt. Col. Leonedes Sydiongco, city intelligence officer Sgt. Alexander Astilla, Capt. Arman Jose Baronda, Cpl. Jeffrey Daclag, Alejander Reponte, Sgt. Arlos Jade Astilla and Patrolman Maricor Espinosa, are under restrictions in connection with the shooting and wounding of Espinosa.
Apas said they have submitted the surrendered guns to the Crime Laboratory as well as the paraffin tests on the involved police officers. He added they expect the results by Monday.
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Alas said they are set to file on Monday, April 14, charges of frustrated murder and violation of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban against the policemen before the Leyte Provincial Prosecutors Office in Baybay City.
He explained that the incident did not fall under the inquest proceedings but on the regular filing.
The Internal Affairs Service of the PNP Regional Office 8 has contacted them for the administrative proceedings, he said.
He said based on their questioning, the seven policemen from the Ormoc City Police Office were in Barangay Tinag-an in Albuera town for the implementation of a search warrant when the incident occurred.
According to Colonel Apas, the policemen's violation was their lack of coordination with the municipal police station.
Espinosa was attending a campaign rally in Barangay Tinag-an, Albuera town, on Thursday when hit on his right arm by a sniper.
Espinosa had already been discharged from a private hospital in Ormoc City and opted to recuperate in his residence, saying he was not safe in Ormoc City as his persons of interest are the policemen.
Espinosa also claimed that the shooting was politically motivated as he belongs to the camp of former Leyte representative Vicente Veloso, who is running for a congressional seat in the fourth district of Leyte.
Kerwin's father, the late Albuera mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., was killed inside the Leyte Sub-Provincial Jail in Baybay City in 2016 by elements of the PNP Criminal Investigation Group Eastern Visayas while being served by a search warrant.
