(Eagle News) — Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido has been officially assigned to Ozamiz City, a day after President Rodrigo Duterte gave the directive.
According to the assignment order released by the Philippine National Police, Espenido will replace the chief of police of the Ozamiz police in Region 10.
Espenido has been assigned in Samar since Nov. 21.
In a speech at the groundbreaking of the Ozamiz Airport Modernization Project, President Duterte made the directive to reinstate Espenido to Ozamiz, following what he said was a public clamor for the police official.
“Gusto nyo bumalik si Espenido?” Duterte asked the crowd.
“Yes,” they answered.
In a radio interview, Espenido welcomed his reassignment, saying he had unfinished business in the area.
He noted that six witnesses who had testified against Kerwin Espinosa, a self-confessed drug distributor, have been killed.
Espinosa is the son of former Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa, who was allegedly behind illegal drug operations in the region.
In 2016, as chief of police of Albuera, Espenido ran after the Espinosas, which eventually led to the former mayor being killed, and his son being arrested.
Espenido was later transferred to Ozamiz, where he led an anti-drug operation that killed then-Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog and led to the arrest of his daughter and others.
“Yung nasimulan ba, para matapos,” Espenido said.
