(Eagle News) — The Palace on Tuesday, Feb. 18, said it was possible Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido was included in the drug list due to “flaws” in intelligence gathering.
“Sometimes they’re even intentional, you are being fed with the wrong info coming from those who are against a particular officer and if it gets into the system, lalabas ‘yun,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.
Panelo issued the statement after Espenido said he was a victim of “failure of intelligence.”
This was after Interior Secretary Eduardo Año confirmed he was included in the country’s drug list.
President Rodrigo Duterte, however, “cleared” Espenido, noting his contributions to the drug war.
Espenido led the raid on the properties of former Ozamiz Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., whom Duterte accused of being involved in the illegal drug trade.
Parojinog and several others were killed in the raid.
