President Rodrigo Duterte has said he will continue believing the police and military as long as they are performing their duty.

"These policemen in Albuera, of course. I will believe the police even if it is not true. I believe the police and you, the military guys because we're together in the government, I'm the commander-in-chief," Duterte said in a speech during the military and police golf tournament on Tuesday.

Duterte was referring to the alleged rubout of late Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr.of Albuera town in Leyte and another inmate, Raul Yap, inside a provincial jail perpetrated by the members of the regional police criminal investigation group early November.

Police claim it was a shootout but the National Bureau of Investigation said it was a rubout.

The twenty-five policemen, led by Superintendent Melvin Marcos who headed the regional criminal investigation group, involved in this incident were given copies of the multiple murder and other criminal cases by the National Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday. They were given until January 23, 2017 to submit their counter-affidavit.

Duterte said he could have ordered the Department of Justice to "fix" the investigation by the NBI.

"It was a rubout so we face the music," Duterte said.

"Public interest says that I should support the police and I should believe them. Now you have a story there we'll provide to the court," he added.

Espinosa was reportedly one of the biggest drug lords in eastern Visayas. Celerina Monte/DMS