Senator Panfilo Lacson could not help but let out an expletive when he described the reinstatement of Supt. Marvin Marcos and 18 other policemen involved in the killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr.

“There is a phrase to describe this whole damn thing: Put*ng I*a!” Lacson said in a text message to reporters on Thursday.

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Asked to comment on the fact that President Rodrigo Duterte was the one who gave the go signal to reinstate the policemen involved in the mayor’s killing, Lacson, a former police chief, replied back: “Same last phrase starting with letter P.”

This was after Duterte publicly said on Wednesday that he would want Marcos back in service.

READ: Duterte wants reinstatement of Supt. Marvin Marcos

Later that day, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said Marcos and other members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Eastern Visayas (CIDG-8) will be reporting back to their mother unit at CIDG in Camp Crame.

“It is not even a reinstatement. Rather, it was back-to-duty status after serving his (Marcos) four-month suspension order incorporated in a ‘slap-on-the-wrist’ administrative penalty imposed on Marcos by the PNP IAS (PNP Internal Affairs Service) and subsequently approved by CPNP Dela Rosa,” he said.

Lacson further said, “according to the decision, Marcos was not physically present when the raiding team killed Espinosa and Raul Yap, but outside supervising the operation. The others were given demotions and six-month suspension. This effectively disregarded the conspiracy angle. In sum, there is a phrase to describe this whole damn thing: Put*ng I*a!”

Lacson said he will immediately call for a hearing when the session resumes on July 24 to discuss the reinstatement issue of Marcos and the other policemen tagged in the slaying of the Albuera mayor.

The Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, which Lacson chairs, concluded that the killing of Espinosa and a fellow inmate, Raul Yap, last November 2016 was premeditated.

“There are bills pending concerning IAS reorganization and other matters related thereto. I will call a hearing immediately after we resume session and part of the discussion will center on the Marcos issue,” he said. JPV

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