MANILA – Senator Leila de Lima on Wednesday said President Rodrigo Duterte's move to defend the policemen behind the killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. may be considered an impeachable offense.

"That's tantamount to pardon, inabsuwelto na niya kaagad. And that's not even his duty because the duty belongs to the judiciary, to the courts. So bordering na yan to impeachability," said De Lima.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, another Duterte critic, said the statement of the president would lead to the conclusion that he masterminded the killing of Espinosa.

Trillanes noted that it was Duterte who ordered the reinstatement of Supt. Marvin Marcos the same day he was relieved by police chief Ronald dela Rosa last October 15. Several days later, Espinosa would die in a jail raid led by Marcos.

"Yung statement na yan ang nagpapatunay na siya ang mastermind sa pagpatay kay Mayor Espinossa," said Trillanes.

In a speech on Wednesday, Duterte said he still believes the statement of the police despite the findings of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) indicating that the mayor’s killing was a “rubout.”

“I will not allow these guys to go to prison. Maski na sabihin ng NBI [na] murder. Eh tutal ano naman ang NBI, under ko rin yan eh, Department of Justice,” Duterte said in a speech in Mandaluyong.

(I will not allow these guys to go to prison., even if the NBI says it was murder. After all, the NBI is under me, the Department of Justice.)

Duterte said he is more inclined to believe the police, whom he said he ordered to kill drug personalities who resist arrest during operations.

“Kasi ako, naniwala ako sa pulis kasi kaming mga mayor, congressman, sino ba ang paniwalaan nila? Ang pulis o ang criminal o yung mga suspetsa suspetsa?” he said.

(We mayors, congressmen, who do we believe – the police or a criminal?)

“Kung ano ang sinabi ng pulis, yun ang totoo sa akin. Sabi ng NBI, murder ganon. Sabi ng pulis, ‘Sir lumaban yun.’ O e di dun ako maniwala sa pulis. Ngayon, bakit ko isasakripisyo yang ilang pulis dyan?”

(Whatever the police say, that’s the truth for me. The NBI said it was murder. The police said, ‘Sir he fought back’. I believe the police. Why would I sacrifice the police?)