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A composite photo of P/Col. Jovie Espenido and Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa. George Calvelo, ABS CBN News; Joseph B. Vidal, Senate PRIB

A composite photo of P/LtCol. Jovie Espenido and Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.

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A composite photo of P/Col. Jovie Espenido and Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><span dir="ltr" id="isPasted"></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/172483596229220161205-senate-dayan-kerwin--33-JC.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="In this file photo, then-PNP Chief De La Rosa talks with C/Insp. Jovie Espenido at the Senate hearing on Extra Judicial Killing (EJK), on December 5, 2016. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">In this file photo, then-PNP Chief De La Rosa talks with C/Insp. Jovie Espenido at the Senate hearing on Extra Judicial Killing (EJK), on December 5, 2016. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (<strong>UPDATED</strong>)-- Controversial &quot;drug war&quot; cop P/LtCol. Jovie Espenido told the House Quad Committee that then PNP Chief and incumbent Senator Ronald Dela Rosa ordered him to &quot;eliminate&quot; illegal drugs in Albuera, Leyte, which, Espenido said is understood by most cops as doing the task &quot;by all means&quot; -- including killing. </p><p>Espenido issued the statement during the resumption of the House Quad Comm probe into illegal drugs, illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, and alleged extra judicial killings. </p><p>&quot;Ang instruction lang, tulungan mo ako, Jovie, at saka si President Duterte about this war against illegal drugs, so dapat galingan mo, ha? Ikaw ang i-assign ko as Chief of Police ng Albuera. So, dapat mawala ang mga drugs sa Albuera,&quot; Espenido said.</p><p>&quot;Mayroon ba siyang sinabi kung paano mawawala ang illegal drugs sa Albuera?&quot; Manila 3rd District Representative Joel Chua asked. </p><p>&quot;Ang pulis isa lang ang general word na ibigay, alam na namin ang isang meaning din. ‘Pag sabi na mawala, kasali na ‘yung mamatay. That is very obvious for us,&quot; Espenido said. </p><p>&quot;By all means, your honor,&quot; he added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/8/18/lawmaker-tells-dela-rosa-to-stop-spewing-conspiracy-theories-1433">Marcos admin working with &#x27;left, yellows&#x27; vs Dutertes? Dela Rosa told to stop conspiracy theories</a></div><p>Dela Rosa, meanwhile, denied ordering Espenido to kill drug personalities. </p><p>&quot;Neutralize ang drugs, o. Anong masama pala doon kung ineutralize  ang drugs? You have to neutralize the drug problem di ba? May sinabi ko bang patayin  yung tao? wala naman akong sinabing patayin yung tao,&quot; he said. </p><p>&quot;Gawin mo lahat ng ligal na pamaraan para mahinto yung prublema sa droga sa lugar mo. Kaya ka inassign diyan,&quot; Dela Rosa said. &quot;Wala ako sinabi in-assign kita diyan para patayin mo lahat ng mga addict diyan, lahat ng mga pusher diyan patayin mo. wala man ako sinabing ganoon. Trabaho  mo yan as chief of police linisin mo yung kapaligiran mo magtrabaho ka para mawala ang problema sa droga.&quot;</p><p>For his part, Sen. Christopher Lawrence &quot;Bong&quot; Go blasted Espenido&#x27;s testimony before the House Quad Committee linking him to POGO and drug war. </p><p>&quot;Parte na naman ito ng sarsuelang niluluto ng ilan upang mamulitika at manira — pilit na nag-iimbento ng istorya na lilinya sa narrative nila upang pinturahan kami ng itim at sila ang pumuti!&quot; Go said in a statement. </p><p>&quot;Si Jovie Espenido na mismo ang umamin noong hearing sa HOR na wala siyang direktang impormasyon o ebidensya na makapagsasabi na may kaugnayan ako sa anumang POGO-drug war links. In other words, hearsay lamang ang isinaad niya kaya nakapagtataka kung bakit naging parte pa ng kanyang affidavit ang aking pangalan.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/26/dela-rosa-won-t-attend-house-inquiry-into-drug-war-844">Dela Rosa won&#x27;t attend House inquiry into drug war he implemented</a></div><p>Go maintained he was never involved in POGO or the so-called war on drugs. </p><p>&quot;I can categorically say, kailanman ay wala akong kinalaman sa anumang POGO at sa sinasabi niyang reward system sa drug war. When I was still the Special Assistant to the President, I NEVER handled any funds related to the drug war and most especially anything from POGO. More so when I became senator in 2019. Kailanman ay hindi ako humahawak o tumatanggap ng pondo o pera mula sa iba. Alam ng mga kasamahan ko sa trabaho &#x27;yan,&quot; he said. </p><p>Go also issued a reminder to congressmen.</p><p>&quot;Paalala rin sana sa aking mga kapwa mambabatas na maging mapanuri sa kanilang imbestigasyon. Parte ng tungkulin natin na alamin ang katotohanan at gumawa ng mga batas na poprotekta sa karapatan ng bawat Pilipino — hindi para manira o mangdawit ng pangalan ng ibang tao base sa tsismis lamang,&quot; he said. </p><p>Dela Rosa also welcomed Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla&#x27;s pronouncement that any arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court must go through a local court first. </p><p>&quot;Local Court natin? Very good. It&#x27;s just a good development kung ganoon ang kaniyang sinabi maganda yan. I&#x27;m happy that they are defending their turf, defending our sovereignty, our jurisdiction,&quot; Dela Rosa said. – <strong>With a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News </strong></p><div><strong><br/></strong></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Controversial “drug war” cop P/Col. Jovie Espenido told the House Quad Committee that then PNP Chief and incumbent Senator Ronald Dela Rosa ordered him to “eliminate” illegal drugs in Albuera, Leyte, which, Espenido said is understood by most cops as doing the task “by all means”, including killing.</p>

Controversial “drug war” cop P/Col. Jovie Espenido told the House Quad Committee that then PNP Chief and incumbent Senator Ronald Dela Rosa ordered him to “eliminate” illegal drugs in Albuera, Leyte, which, Espenido said is understood by most cops as doing the task “by all means”, including killing.

Dela Rosa's order to 'eliminate' illegal drugs in Albuera included 'killing', says Espenido

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Dela Rosa's order to 'eliminate' illegal drugs in Albuera included 'killing', says Espenido

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 28, 2024 05:07 PM PHT

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Updated Aug 29, 2024 12:55 PM PHT

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House of Representatives

House Quad Committee

illegal drugs

PCOL Jovie Espenido

Ronald dela Rosa

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war on drugs

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