Palace Says Espenido Inclusion On Narco List Is Only Part of “Black Propaganda”
ESPENIDO – Malacañang Palace Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said President Rodrigo Roa Duterte believe Jovie Espenido is ‘clean’ and his inclusion on the narco list is only part of “black propaganda.”
In 2017, Colonel Jovie Espenido led the anti-illegal drug operation against the Parojinog family. The family was on Duterte admin’s drug watch list.
Following a previous article, an anonymous source claimed that the controversial cop wan now on government’s drug watch list. The authorities are currently investigating the colonel and other cops’ involvement in the alleged drug activities.
In 2019, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte assigned the controversial cop as the police deputy director in Bacolod City. The illegal drug trade in the city is allegedly rampant.
“Bacolod is badly hit now. And I placed Espenido there, ‘yung kinatakutan nila na pulis. Sabi ko, ‘Go there and you are free to kill everybody.’ T— ina. Start killing them.’ Dalawa na tayo magpapreso,” said Duterte.
The head of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Eduardo Año confirmed that Jovie Espenido is one of the cops on Duterte’s drug watchlist based on a report from CNN. “He will undergo validation and adjudication just like the rest,” he said.
“His accomplishments in the past could be a big positive factor to his side during adjudication/validation,” he added.
According to the report, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said President Duterte does not believe Jovie Espenido is involved in the illegal drug activities despite Año’s confirmation.
“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte believes that Police Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido is clean… Lt. Col. Espenido continues to enjoy the trust and confidence of the President. PRRD believes that the reports of his alleged involvement in prohibited drugs are untrue,” he added.
Duterte believes that Espenido’s inclusion on the list is only part of the “black-propaganda” to destroy his ‘war-on-drugs” campaign.
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