Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 11) — There is no proof that Calbayog City Mayor Rolando Aquino was involved in drugs, the chief of the Eastern Visayas police disclosed on Thursday.
At a virtual hearing, Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, asked Police Brig. Gen. Ronaldo De Jesus whether it was true that Aquino was involved in illegal drugs.
“As far as we are concerned, Sir, we do not have any report on that matter,” said De Jesus.
He explained what transpired was a shooting incident among the security personnel of Mayor Aquino, the police’s Integrity Monitoring Enforcement Group (IMEG) and the provincial drug enforcement unit (PDEU) of Samar and where the parties did not recognize each other.
“It is not a case of anti-illegal drugs operation… It’s a very unfortunate incident na...simply a shooting incident na hindi sila nagkakakilanlan, both parties involved,” De Jesus pointed out.
[Translation: It is not a case of anti-illegal drugs operation… It’s a very unfortunate incident…it was simply a shooting incident where both parties involved did not recognize each other.]
Gordon exclaimed, “Wow. That’s very costly,” before asking who shot first.
De Jesus said based on the account of their personnel, Aquino’s group shot first.
“Nag-respond lang, Sir…from the group of IMEG and PDEU,” he said.
[Translation: The group of IMEG and PDEU just responded.]
De Jesus added both parties were headed in the same direction when the shooting started.
“Unfortunately…posibleng sabihin na pinagdudahan ni Mayor yung grupo ng mga pulis natin and Sir, nag start na ng putukan,” he said.
[Translation: Unfortunately…we can say the Mayor was suspicious about the police group, and then the shooting started.]
Gordon expressed disbelief that police were not familiar with Aquino’s vehicle, which De Jesus said was owned by the Calbayog municipal government. The police chief responded the personnel were not from the area.
Aquino was killed in the shooting incident that happened on March 8. The National Bureau of Investigation is looking into the incident, while the PNP said it would be working with the bureau.
