Senators conducted an executive session with officials of the Department of Justice (DOJ), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) on the death of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre said, the senators wanted to clarify some details with investigators on the case.
The Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs and the Senate Committee on Justice have been jointly holding hearings on the killing of Espinosa on November 5, 2016 while he was detained at the sub-provincial jail of Baybay City in Leyte.
“More or less, we wanted to know kung ano ang problema ng mga pulis,” Senator Richard Gordon, who chairs the Justice Committee, said.
Meanwhile, on December 20, 2016 or Thursday next week, the DOJ is set to begin its preliminary investigation on Espinosa’s death.
The 5-man panel of DOJ prosecutors will require the 24 policemen linked to the killing to secure copies of the NBI findings.
The NBI earlier recommended the filing of multiple murder and perjury charges against the cops that conducted an operation in the detention cell of the mayor.
Included as respondents is Police Superintendent Marvin Marcos, whose reinstatement was ordered by President Duterte weeks before he led the raid in Espinosa’s jail.
The NBI had concluded that the killing of Espinosa was a case of ‘rubout’ and not a shootout, as claimed by the police.
