MANILA - Senator Panfilo Lacson expressed Saturday his suspicions about the death of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. and fellow inmate Raul Yap, saying it could be a case of extra-judicial killing.

"I can smell EJK, and I base my conclusion on the circumstances that surround the killing," Lacson said, adding he is considering reopening a Senate probe on such cases.

The former police chief-turned-senator questioned the need for Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) agents to serve the warrant in place of court personnel.

"Why was there a need to serve the warrant personally on Mayor Espinosa when they could simply coordinate with the warden?" he said.

In a separate interview, the CIDG official who headed the operation said a court had to issue a search warrant because a witness alleged that jail officials may be involved in the drug trade inside the Baybay City Provincial Jail.

The witness was a former henchman of a slain drug lord in the Abuyog Penal Colony where Espinosa regularly sourced around 20 to 50 kilograms of shabu, according to CIDG Norther Leyte Provincial Officer chief inspector Leo Laraga.

Yap asked the witness to meet him inside his cell because they needed help to dispose the narcotics they had at hand, he said.

"Nagpakita lang siya (witness) ng ID tapos hindi na siya ni-log in nung mga guard. Lumalabas na nakatimbre yung pagpasok niya," Laraga said.

(He just showed his ID and he was allowed to go inside the prison cell without logging in. It appears that the jail guards were informed of his arrival.)

"Pwede naman mag-coordinate lang with jail officials, but considering the information that was given, parang meron ng conspiracy, collusion doon," Laraga said.

(We can coordinate with jail officials, but we received information that there is an ongoing conspiracy, collusion in that detention facility.)

CIDG agents had to use bolt cutters and eventually "disarm" jail officials who refused to honor the warrant issued by the court, he added.

Lacson also alleged that "the only other prisoner inside the same cell was also killed" to silence possible witnesses, but investigators said Espinosa and Yap were staying in separate prison cells.

But the CIDG should still explain why "a prisoner inside a prison cell could even think of fighting back against police officers serving a warrant," Lacson said.

Espinosa surrendered to police in August after saying that he feared for his life amid the government's intensified campaign against illegal drugs.

The recent development in Espinosa's case "is the biggest challenge to the credibility of the PNP," Lacson said.

Should the issue remain unresolved, other operations involving drug suspects killed under "similarly suspicious circumstances" would be affected, he added.

Aside from the abuse of police power, Lacson said he is also looking at the possibility of "cover-up for certain personalities in the father-and-son payola as the motive for the killing."

Police earlier said the Espinosas kept a log book that contained a list of personalities who allegedly received drug money, including embattled Senator Leila de Lima.

The Palace will also look into Espinosa's "unexpected" death, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said, according to DZMM.