CIDG Region 8 chief Supt. Marvin Marcos turns emotional at the Senate hearing on extrajudicial killings. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA – The restrictive custody status of Police Superintendent Marvin Marcos, the leader of a police team who killed Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. in jail raid last November 5, has been temporarily lifted.

Aside from Marcos, chief of the police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Region 8, the restrictive custody status of 17 other policemen involved in the killing has also been lifted.

The Philippine National Police - Internal Affairs Service said, the officers from CIDG Region 8 and Regional Maritime Unit 8 were allowed to leave Camp Crame after being placed under restrictive custody so they can prepare for their summary hearing.

Chief Superintendent Leo Angelo Leuterio, PNP-IAS Deputy Inspector General, said: "It's within their rights to have it extended, but I will be reminding them to submit it as soon as possible because we have to proceed already to summary hearing of their case so we can come to a conclusion. We can close this case then report to the public.”



According to PNP-IAS, Marcos and the others will be given time to gather documents and submit their counter affidavits. The others are allowed to return home to Leyte.



PNP-IAS stressed all the cops are in floating status.

"They are assigned in the police holding and accounting unit of the PNP located in national headquarters in Camp Crame. However, restrictive custody [is] lifted to give them a chance to go back to Region 8 to get the papers they need for their counter-affidavits," Leuterio said.

Meanwhile, Senator Leila De Lima refused to disclose the source of information about special presidential assistant Bong Go’s plea for PNP Chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa to reinstate Marcos, as the tip was given to her in confidence.

In a text message, De Lima said, "I cannot breach the confidence accorded me by my source. Instead, I dare General Bato to disclose to us who is that personality/official ‘higher’ than him, if it's not Bong Go, who gave the order to reinstate Marcos. The duty to disclose belongs to him, and not to me, since he was the one who revealed the giving of the order."

Marcos and other officers were ordered relieved by Dela Rosa over the slay of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr.

In November, suspected drug pusher Kerwin Espinosa claimed that he bribed Marcos with at least P3 million to lay off operations to bust his drug ring.