MANILA, Philippines – Police Supt. Marvin Wynn Marcos, who was among those accused in the killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Jr., is out of prison after posting a P40,000-bail.
The information came from the office of Chief Inspector Teodulo Armada, deputy director of the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Eastern Visayas, radio dzMM reported Friday evening.
Marcos, director of the CIDG in Region 8, was able to post bail for his temporary liberty after the Baybay City Regional Trial Court Branch 14 granted the police officer’s plea to downgrade the charges against him from murder to homicide, the radio report added.
Marcos is related to late President Ferdinand Marcos. Anastacio, Marvin’s great great grandfather on his mother’s side, was the brother of Mariano Marcos, the father of Ferdinand. Anastacio’s real name was Fabian, but he changed it to avoid being identified because he was a member of a group supporting an uprising led by Philippine Independent Church founder Gregorio Aglipay against the Catholic Church.
Marvin’s father, Teodoro Candon, was the son of Theodore Candon, an American soldier. But Marvin, in an earlier media interview, said he never met his father and that what he is using now is the family name of his mother, though his birth certificate reflected the family name of his father.
The National Bureau of Investigation earlier filed multiple murder and perjury cases against Marcos and 23 other members of the PNP-CIDG in Region 8 in connection with the November 5, 2016 slay of Espinosa and fellow inmate Raul Yap while they were detained at the Baybay Provincial Jail in Leyte.
The NBI said its forensic findings were consistent with testimonial evidence that the killings were premeditated and that the victims were defenseless when they were slain.
Espinosa was allegedly among the biggest drug lords in Eastern Visayas. His son, Kerwin Espinosa, also a suspected drug lord, testified in the Senate last November that he gave P8 million to Sen. Leila de Lima for her 2016 senatorial campaign through the lawmaker’s former driver and partner Ronnie Dayan.
De Lima was arrested on February 24 this year and detained at the PNP Custodial Center at Camp Crame in Quezon City after drug-related charges were filed against her before a Muntinlupa court by the Department of Justice, which she used to head.
