PNP to reopen cold cases of officials killed during Duterte drug war

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will reopen the investigation of several cold cases of local officials who were killed at the height of the Duterte administration's war on drugs.

According to a 24 Oras report by Ian Cruz, this includes the assassination of the mayor of Tanauan City, Batangas, where a police officer is being tagged as one of the suspects.

The PNP said the alleged cold cases will be reopened after former police lieutenant colonel Royina Garma's revelation during the House Quad Committee hearing that there are cops involved in the killing of Tanauan City Mayor Antonio Halili in 2018.

"Titignan nga natin na kung sino yung mga na-involved na mga, particularly the elected officials and other well-known personalities na namatay during the height of the anti-drug campaign during the time of the previous administration po. Definitely these will be included doon sa mga ire-review po na mga cases not only dito sa case ni Mayor Halili," said PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo.

(We will look at who were involved, particularly the elected officials and other well-known personalities who died during the height of the anti-drug campaign during the time of the previous administration, so definitely, these will be included among the cases that will be reviewed, not only Mayor Halili's case.)

Based on data gathered by GMA Integrated News Research, 14 local officials allegedly linked to drugs during the era of former president Rodrigo Duterte were killed from 2016 to 2021.

Aside from Halili, this includes Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa in 2016 who was fatally shot several times when he allegedly resisted while being served a search warrant inside his cell at the Leyte Sub-Provincial Jail.

Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog also died in a police raid along with his wife and two siblings in 2017. His brother, former councilor and board member Ricardo Parojinog, was later killed inside a detention facility.

The PNP is also investigating a police officer that Garma pointed out as being involved in Halili's murder— P/Captain Kenneth Albotra, who is assigned to Police Regional Office 7 in Central Visayas.

In a phone call, Albotra told GMA Integrated News that Garma's allegations are false.

“Masasabi ko lang po diyan, sir, is, hindi po totoo ‘yan. Wala po katotohanan ‘yan,” he said.

(I can only say that, sir, this is not true. There is no truth in that.)

“Tingin ko, e, talagang ano po si Ma’am (Garma), confused na  po siya sa mga nangyayari sa buhay niya po ngayon at ako po’y naaawa po sa kanya. Hindi po totoo ‘yung sinasabi ni Ma’am, ‘yun lang po,” he added.

(From what I see, Ma'am is confused about what is happening in her life right now and I feel sorry for her. What she said was not true.)

“To be fair to him, although sinasabi niya na hindi siya yung tinutukoy, but definitely he will be questioned with respect to this case po,” said Fajardo.

(To be fair to him, although he says that he is not the one being referred to, he will definitely be questioned regarding this case.)  —Sherylin Untalan/RF, GMA Integrated News