So, the cat is now out of the bag.

Duterte’s top honcho in the anti-drug wars is himself, a protector of drug syndicates. How sweet…

Lieutenant Colonel Jovie Espenido, the man whom Duterte gave a carte blanche authority to “kill, kill, kill” is now under intense investigation after his name cropped up in Duterte’s own drug list of 357 cops reportedly involved in the protection racket.  Espenido’s guns have been silenced and he is now reassigned to the Office of PNP chief Lieutenant General Archie Gamboa.

Espenido is being accused of protecting the rival drugs syndicate of the Parojinogs in Ozamis City. That explains why Espenido went all out, with his guns a-blazing, and blasted the Parojinogs inside their very house in 2017. Killed during Espenido’s raid are Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., his wife Susan, his siblings and fifteen others. The major’s daughter, Nova and eldest son, Renaldo Junior are behind bars at Camp Crame.

Prior to that bloody encounter with the Parojinogs, Espenido raided the house of the late Mayor Rolando Espinosa, father of alleged Visayas drug lord Kerwin, in Albuara Leyte. The mayor was gunned down inside his detention cell by Espenido’s men.

Sources within the PNP says that Espenido’s involvement in the drugs protection racket is “old news.” Visayas biggest name in the drug business reportedly flaunted Espenido’s name every single time anti-drugs operatives catch his shipments.  Arresting cops assume that Espenido is “malakas” to the president that explains why this drug lord is still operating wantonly in both the Visayas and now, Mindanao.

Espenido has lots of explaining to do.

At the start of Duterte’s anti-drugs campaign, many within the PNP organization speculated that this campaign is all about power. That a syndicate probably close to the Powers-that-Be is probably the one who wanted nothing more than dominate this multi-billion peso industry.

Duterte may not know it, but he was probably used by this syndicate in their quest for power dominance. Or, was he, really?

Several statements made by Duterte show the president expressing his disgust over shabu, for it being synthetically made, while preferring “natural drugs” like cocaine, which he says, is okey because only the rich can afford it.

Prior to the 2016 elections, news about the entry of  a Mexican drug syndicate in the Philippines caught the attention of many.  Journalists may want to investigate whatever happened to the entry of the Sinaloan drug syndicate here in this part of Asia.

The US has warned Philippine authorities about the dangers of narcopolitics.

By the way, flash back to the Senate…

It was Senator Antonio Trillanes IV who accused Paolo Duterte of having an involvement in smuggling and illicit drugs. Trillanes IV even included now Senator Bong Go. According to Trillanes IV, Paolo and Go are reportedly members of the Chinese drug triad. His evidence? Tattoos of the syndicate marked in their backs.

Go had since came out of the media and had shown his clean back, although several “marks” remained some observers noted. Duterte did not show his tattoos.

So, are you still asking yourself why illicit drugs continue to proliferate in our country?