[23][24] On February 12, 2020, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año announced that Espenido was among the 357 policemen on President Rodrigo Duterte's drug watchlist, also known as narco list.

[25][26][27][28] On November 5, 2016, Rolando Espinosa, then mayor of Albuera, Leyte, was killed in a Baybay City Provincial Jail cell by policemen who claimed they were serving a search warrant.

[29] A month later, Espenido was removed from his post after he was named by Espinosa's son, Kerwin, as the conduit to Ronnie Dayan, the alleged bagman of Sen. Leila de Lima, whom the Duterte administration had detained on drug trafficking charges.

[30] Espenido earned various criticism regarding the bloody operation against members of the influential family of Ozamis City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. who was allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.

[31][32] In August 2024, Espenido testified before the House Committee that Senator Ronald dela Rosa directed the criminal cases dismissal against Kerwin Espinosa and Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog.