Press Release
November 10, 2016

Excerpts from exchange between Senator Recto, Laraga, Marcos and Magalong Public Order hearing / inquiry on the killing of Mayor Espinosa

RGR : Bakit at paano kayo naging interesado kay Mayor Espinosa?

Laraga: at first hindi si Mayor ang target, kundi yung Yap. According to our informant who went to CIDG..

RGR: Pwede bang i-present sa committee iyang informant na yan para malaman natin kung totoong tao o hindi?

Laraga: Mas maganda ho siguro kung may ano sa court.

RGR: Pwede naman executive session yan kung sakali.

Laraga : Kung sa executive session probably po. Oct. 29 nagpunta ang informant. Nabanggit nya na may transaksyon. Pinapapunta raw sya sa jail, diretso sa selda ni Raul Yap. Hinihingi raw ang tulong nya para ma-distribute yung shabu. Nung nag-ok sya, sinabihan sya ni Yap na magpunta dun sa isang selda kasi "si boss na ang magsasabi kung talagang ok". Nung pumunta sya sa (tinuturong) selda dun nya nalaman na ang binabanggit ni Yap ay si Mayor Espinosa. Wala siyang binanggit na may drugs, basta ang nakita nya ay may baril.

RGR: Kaharap ka nung sinabi yon? (opo). Anong ginawa mo? Did you inform your immediate superior, your regional director?

Laraga: Yung regional chief ng CIDG na-inform ko po.

RGR to Reg'l Chief: did you inform the regional director? Nabanggit na ang name ni Espinosa na isang high value target.

Supt. Marcos : Actually di na namin konoconsider na high value target si Mayor Espinosa kasi nakakulong sya.

RGR: Iyan ba ay tinalakay mo sa CIDG Crame? Sa superior mo?

Marcos: Hindi po kasi yung level ng info ay raw info at bilang reg'l chief, si Major Laraga is my prov'l officer. I'm supervising the different provinces...

RGR: Ang tanong ko lang did you inform any of your superiors?

Marcos : Wala po.

RGR: The RD, did you inform him?

Marcos: Wala po.

RGR: Did you talk to the Prov'l Director?

Marcos : Hindi po. We're a separate unit.

RGR: I understand but you are one PNP.

Marcos : Di ko diniscuss because we also consider the value of the raw information.

RGR: Naintindihan ko yan, but the difference is this person is already in jail. Nakakulong na. Assuming meron ngang shabu, meron ngang baril, nakakulong na yung tao. Dagdag na kaso yon sa kanya, tama?

Marcos : We've also an information kasi kaming CIDG ang nag-file nung case against Mayor Espinosa and Kerwin kaya po nagkaroon ng warrant yang mag-ama. Based sa kaso, may narecover si Major Laraga na blue book pertaining to inventory of firearms. More than 200 ang baril ng Espinosa group.

RGR: I only have 10 mins (to ask questions). Di ko tinatanong yan. Ang tanong ko ay simple lang: did you coordinate with the PD and your answer is you did not. Ang tanong ko rin ay ano ang magiging kaso ni Espinosa kung sakaling may baril or may shabu. Dagdag kaso, hindi ho ba? (Dagdag kaso po.)

Ano ang accountability ng warden kung totoong may baril at shabu? (Probably he will be facing administrative.)

Ang malinaw is you did not coordinate with your superiors, you did not coordinate with anyone down the line.

Marcos : Wala kaming directive that we have to immediately transmit that kind of information to higher ups because I am already the regional chief.

RGR: Naintindihan ko. Pero sensitive itong isyung ito kaya nga tayo nandito ngayon e. Alam ninyo na high value personality ito.

Marcos : He is no longer considered a high value cos nakakulong na sya, sir.

RGR: Hindi tayo nagkakaintindihan. Anyway, when did you guys decide, CIDG, na kumuha ng warrant? Kasi nalaman nyo ang information Oct. 29. (Nov 4.)

RGR: Pumunta kayo sa Samar to get a warrant. Bakit hindi sa judge sa Leyte?

Larafa : Considering yung connections ng Espinosas, iniiwasan naming mag-leak ang info regarding the pending operation.

RGR: Ilang judge meron sa Leyte? Marami, hindi ba? Are you saying na suspetsa lahat ng judges sa Leyte that you had to go to Samar?

Laraga: Hindi po namin alam. More or less 15, your honor.

RGR: Are you saying in effect na wala kayong tiwala sa judge sa Leyte?

Laraga : We are just protecting the value of the information, your honor.

RGR : Sino yung judge sa Samar? (Hon. Tarcilo Sabare) Kilala nyo itong judge na ito? (Kilala po) Malapit ba sa inyo itong judge na ito? (Hindi po.) Nakakuha na kayo ng warrant sa judge na ito noong araw? (Sa CIDG nung nag-start wala pa po.) Never nyo nalapitan. Hindi nyo suki. (Hindi po.)

RGR : So nag-issue ng search warrant Nov 4.Di ba nakalagay sa 2nd paragraph ng search warrant "you are hereby commanded to make an immediate search at any time of the day or night in the premises above described of Raul Yap in coordination with the Chief of the Baybay Sub-Provincial Jail."

Did you coordinate with the chief of the Baybay Sub-provincial jail?

Laraga: we ----- pagdating namin dun sa jail.

RGR: You coordinated with the chief pagdating sa jail? (Opo) And ano sinabi nyo sa chief?

Laraga: Hinanap po ni Supt. Nadera yung warden sa jail guard. Hindi sumagot yung jail guard. Nagsabi si Supt na kami po ay police sa CIDG.

RGR: Sa madaling salita di kayo nakapag-coordinate?

Laraga: Wala naman pong warden at nandun naman yung duty.

RGR: No, no. It's a condition of the warrant.

Lacson: They coordinated by using a bold cutter. They coordinated by disarming the guards. Yun ang compliance nila.

RGR: So you did not coordinate with the chief of Baybay Sub-provincial jail. Nandito ba ang chief ng Baybay prov'l jail?

Laraga: No, we did not coordiate, your honor.

RGR: Tinitingnan ko ang timeline. Sino-sino kayong nag-meeting to proceed with the implementation of the search warrant? Nakalagay dito RC. Sino si RC? (regional chief) CIDG, PO, NL-CIDG, Deputy RC. Lahat ito ay CIDG, under your command?

Marcos : Yes, sir.

RGR: Nakakuha na kayo ng search warrant. Did any of you coordinate with the regional director?

Marcos : Di pa kami nag-coordinate nung time na nag-meeting. We don't have to.

RGR to Police Director Benjie Magalong : Sa tingin ba ninyo kung ito ay na-coordinate sa reg'l director, mangyayari ba ito?

Magalong: Kahapon po nagkaroon kami ng discussion dito with Supt. Marcos at iyan po ang aking tinanong sa kanya. Considering po na high profile target, it's a high profile operation, ang protocol po namin dyan is that lahat ng commanders, may tinatawag kaming "commanders should always be informed", sya po being the regional chief of cidg in reg 8 is under the operational control of the regional director of reg. 8. In the same manner na may director din po sya sa cidg. Both personalities should have been informed beforehand even days before nung nagpaplano na sila sa kanilang operations.

RGR: Based on the rule?

Magalong: Dapat po.

RGR: So they violated the rule here?

Magalong: Yes, your honor. They should have coordinated with and informed his commanders and at the same time lahat ng mga agents, concerned units that have stake over yung operation na yan, dapat po nakipag-coodinate sya. Ini-specify niya yung role nila, mission, objective nila. Dapat ho klarong-klaro, esp po yung instruction na nakasaad sa search warrant.

RGR: Sinasabi ba ninyo na yung instruction sa search warrant di nasunod?

Magalong: Opo, specifically yung coordination with the jail warden.

RGR: Not only did they not coordinate with their superiors, but they violated the search warrant by not coordinating with the chief of Baybay sub-provincial jail.

Magalong : Obviously, your honor.

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