In a high-stakes legal showdown, the defense team for former President Rodrigo Duterte has come out swinging, asserting that there is zero evidence directly linking him to the high-profile deaths of Rolando Espinosa Sr., Reynaldo Parojinog, and Dexter Visda.
The statement, issued on February 28, 2026, serves as a direct rebuttal to recent testimonies and allegations aimed at connecting the former administration’s “War on Drugs” to specific extrajudicial killings.
Challenging the Narrative
Lead defense counsel emphasized that the deaths occurred under varying circumstances that do not point to a centralized “kill order” from the Palace. The defense’s argument hinges on three main points:
- Espinosa Case: While the former Albuera Mayor was killed inside a jail cell in 2016, the defense maintains this was the result of a legitimate—albeit controversial—police operation, for which the officers involved have already faced their own legal proceedings.
- The Parojinog Raid: The defense argues that the 2017 raid in Ozamiz City, which resulted in the death of Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog and several others, was a standard enforcement of search warrants that turned into a shootout.
- The Visda Incident: Regarding Dexter Visda, the defense claims that any attempt to tie the death to a presidential directive is “purely speculative” and lacks the documentary or testimonial “smoking gun” required in a court of law.
“Hearsay and Politics”
The defense team characterized the recent influx of allegations as “politically motivated hearsay.” They argued that witnessing a general atmosphere of a crackdown is not the same as having proof of a specific command to execute these individuals.
“The prosecution is attempting to build a house of cards using bricks of rumors,” a spokesperson for the legal team stated. They reiterated that the former president’s rhetoric was focused on law enforcement and that any excesses committed by individual officers should be treated as isolated criminal acts, not state policy.
What’s Next in the Proceedings?
This vigorous defense comes as various bodies, including domestic committees and international observers, continue to scrutinize the legacy of the previous administration’s anti-drug campaign. The lack of a “paper trail” or direct witnesses to specific orders remains the central battleground for both the prosecution and the defense.
As the legal battle intensifies, the burden of proof remains with the accusers to move beyond circumstantial links and provide concrete evidence that can hold up under judicial scrutiny.
The legal defense for former President Rodrigo Duterte has denied any proof linking him to the deaths of Rolando Espinosa Sr., Reynaldo Parojinog, and Dexter Visda. During a briefing on February 28, 2026, the defense argued that these incidents were either legitimate police operations or lacked a direct command from the former president. They dismissed the allegations as speculative and hearsay, maintaining that no evidence exists of a state-sanctioned policy for these specific killings.