MANILA, Philippines – Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido, who headed the police in local governments where mayors had been killed in the drug war, is set to receive an award and a new assignment.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa announced on Monday, August 7, that Espenido will receive a “special award for the anti-illegal drugs campaign” for his work in Ozamiz City in Misamis Occidental and in Albuera, Leyte.

It will be given during the 116th PNP Service Anniversary on Wednesday, August 9.

“Significantly nag-drop ‘yung drug activities sa Ozamiz dahil sa kanyang pamumuno,” Dela Rosa said, denying the deadly raid on the Parojinogs of Ozamiz as a factor to the recognition. (Drug activites significantly dropped in Ozamiz because of his leadership.)

“[Baka] sabihin ‘nyo na gawa sa pagpatay kay Mayor Parojinog kaya bigyan siya ng award. Hindi pa nangyari ‘yung Ozamiz incident, kasama na si Espenido sa mga awardees for his accomplishments sa anti-drug operations sa Albuera at sa Ozamiz,” Dela Rosa said.

(You might say the award is because of the killing of Mayor Parojinog. Even before the Ozamiz incident, Espenido was already among the awardees for his anti-drug operations in Albuera and Ozamiz.)

Dela Rosa also confirmed that Espenido will be re-stationed once more, just a few months after he was put in Ozamiz City. He said they are still gathering intel on where the cop will be put next.

According to Dela Rosa, he has not seen President Rodrigo Duterte’s updated list of officials involved in the illegal drug trade.

LOOK: #PresidentDuterte‘s thick list of drug suspects has been updated. @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/jiKV1RDap1

— Pia Ranada (@piaranada) August 3, 2017

To date, there are already two mayors who died in police operations in Espenido’s watch. (READ: Duterte to mayors on ‘final’ drug list: Resign or die)

Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa, father of alleged Eastern Visayas drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, was in jail when police operatives killed him in a supposed rubout before dawn in November 2016. Ozamiz Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog died with his wife and several others when they allegedly shot it out with the police who raided their home before dawn in late July. – Rappler.com