OZAMIZ — A controversial police officer has announced that he will run for mayor of this city in 2019.

Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido, this city's police chief, said he is set to transfer his voter's registration here from Leyte, where he also served as police chief before being assigned in Ozamiz.

"Ma-implement mo kasi kung anong dapat na i-implement kung mayor ka na. Ang sa atin, kung ano ang ginagawa natin bilang pulis ‘yon din ang gagawin ko kung sakaling papalarin," he said.

Espenido was the chief of police in Albuera, Leyte when the town's then-mayor Rolando Espinosa, who was a drug suspect, was shot dead inside his jail in the Baybay City Provincial Jail in 2016.

When he was transferred to this city in 2017, then-Mayor Reynaldo "Aldong" Parojinog and 14 others linked to illegal drugs were killed in a series of raids.

• Albuera Mayor Espinosa shot dead inside jail cell
• Ozamiz mayor, 14 others killed in police raid

Last year, Espenido was supposed to be transferred to Iloilo City, where Jed Mabilog, another official on President Rodrigo Duterte's list of alleged narco-politicians, is incumbent mayor.

There were speculations that Espenido was assigned to Iloilo to hound Mabilog but Malacañang denied these pronouncements without giving clear reasons about the transfer.

• Palace denies Espenido out to hound Iloilo Mayor Mabilog

President Rodrigo Duterte cancelled the transfer. Then-Philippine National Police chief Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa claimed they got information that people in Ozamiz wanted Espenido to stay.

Duterte had given Espenido an award for "outstanding performance in anti-illegal drug operations that led to the eradication of illegal drug activities in Eastern Visayas and Ozamiz City."

• Duterte awards top cop from alleged narco-politicians' towns