Duterte ordered Espenido to remain in Ozamiz: Dela Rosa

September 4, 2017

Philippine National Police Director General Ronald Dela Rosa said Monday President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the cancellation of the transfer of Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido from Ozamiz City to Iloilo.

"The main reason is the president (Rodrigo Duterte) himself gave instruction to not continue because it will demoralize the people in Ozamiz if we remove Espenido there and there were some news that they will have people power if Espenido is removed in Ozamiz", Dela Rosa said in a press conference in Camp Crame.

Duterte ordered the reassasignment of Espenido, the Ozamiz chief of police,  on August 28 to Iloilo which he called the most "shabulized" place in the Philippines.

"He (Duterte ) said...Let us not remove Espenido there", Dela Rosa said.

He said the issue of the rank of Espenido is not the reason his assignment in Iloilo was cancelled.

"In the case of Espenido they are saying it did not push through because he was under ranked, that's not a problem the PNP policy can adjust to the presidential directives", he said.

Espenido is a chief inspector and to qualify as the chief of police in a big province the rank required is  senior superintendent.

Dela Rosa said Iloilo city mayor Jed Mabilog who is said to be included in the government's narcolist is supporting the war on drugs campaign of the PNP.

"He admitted before that he had shortcomings because he disregarded the drug ( situation) in Iloilo but now he is trying his best to support the police in our war on drugs", he said.

After the death of the top drug suspect in Western Visayas, Richard Prevendido Friday night, Dela Rosa advised drug lords to either "surrender, go away or kill themselves". Alanna Ambi/DMS