Metro Manila, Philippines – A police officer claimed that then Philippine National Police chief and incumbent Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa ordered him to neutralize people allegedly involved in illegal drugs.
In 2017, PCol Jovie Espenido, former Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental police chief, led anti-drug operations that killed then Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog and 14 others.
In a hearing at the House of Representatives, Espenido said Dela Rosa gave him the order to dismantle the local drug kingpin “by all means” necessary, which supposedly meant to neutralize or eliminate the target.
“’Pag neutralization, it is very common for the officers na isa lang din ang meaning. By all means, ikaw na ang bahala – ang operatives, or frontliners, or ikaw na ang nag-implement ng istasyon or search warrant or warrant of arrest,” Espenido explained.
[Translation: When we say neutralize, it is very common for officers and it only has one meaning. By all means, you handle it – the operatives, frontliners, or you implement the search warrant or warrant of arrest.]
Misamis Occidental 2nd District Rep. Ando Oaminal asked the police officer if the order included killing the target. Espenido affirmed.
Espenido further said then President Rodrigo Duterte, who launched the bloody war on drugs, and Dela Rosa congratulated him for neutralizing the drug syndicate in Ozamiz.
Dela Rosa, however, denied ordering Espenido to kill.
“Gawin mo lahat ng legal na pamamaraan para mahinto ‘yung problema sa droga sa lugar mo. ‘Di ba kaya ka nga in-assign diyan ‘di ba para trabahuhin mo ‘yung droga?” Dela Rosa said in an ambush interview.
[Translation: Do all legal measures to stop the drug problem in your place. Didn’t I assign you there to solve the drug problem?]
“Wala akong sinabi na in-assign kita diyan para patayin mo lahat ng mga adik diyan, lahat ng mga pusher diyan. Wala naman akong sinabing ganu’n. Trabaho mo ‘yan as chief of police, linisin mo ‘yung kapaligiran mo. Magtrabaho ka para mawala ang problema sa droga,” he added.
[Translation: I did not say that I assigned you there to kill drug addicts, drug pushers there. I did not say anything like that. It is your job as chief of police to rid your surroundings of drugs. Work to eradicate the drug problem.]
The International Criminal Court is investigating Dela Rosa and Duterte for supposed crimes against humanity in connection to extrajudicial killings during the drug war.
Human right groups’ data show the drug war death toll surpassed 20,000.
NewsWatch Plus correspondent Eimor Santos contributed to this report.
