POLICE Chief Ronald dela Rosa said Monday he will transfer “most requested” Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido to another area with the government’s “next target.”
“There are many people requesting him, but we can’t just do that. He must first finish his work in Ozamiz,” Dela Rosa said.
He made his statement even as he dared the armed supporters of the Parojinog clan to push through with their threat against Espenido whose men were instrumental in the killing of Mayor Renaldo Parojinog, his wife Susan and three other members of his family on July 30.
Dela Rosa reacted after reports that the Kuratong Baleleng, a group involved in various criminal acts and supposedly had links with the Parojinogs, was planning to retaliate to avenge the killing of four members of the Parojinog clan in an early dawn raid in separate properties of the victims.
“You are trying to scare us now? You have many times scared the police. Tell the Kuratong Baleleng to bring it on,” Dela Rosa said.
The Parojinogs were killed after policemen under Espenido, armed with six search warrants, raided the Parojinog’s residences for loose firearms and illegal drugs.
Dela Rosa said the PNP will validate possible areas where Espenido may be transferred.
He said Espenido will receive a special award during the PNP’s Police Service anniversary on Wednesday for his contributions to the government’s war on drugs.
Espenido is the current chief of the Ozamiz City police who supervised the simultaneous raids on the houses of the Parojinog clan.
The mayor’s children, Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog-Echavez and Reynaldo Jr. had been arrested and are facing drug-related and illegal possession of firearms charges.
The mayor was included on President Rodrigo Duterte’s list of public official allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.
Manhunt operations are ongoing against another member of the political clan, Ozamiz City Councilor Ricardo Parojinog.
Espenido was chief of police in Albuera, Leyte, when its former mayor, Rolando Espinosa, was shot dead by policemen during an operation inside the Baybay City Sub-Provincial Jail.
Espenido was not involved in the jail raid.