TACLOBAN CITY—At least 74 government officials and 154 civilians will face charges for allegedly protecting the illegal drug operation of Kerwin Espinosa, who has been tagged as the biggest drug lord in Eastern Visayas.
These people were identified by Kerwin’s father, Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. of Albuera town in a sworn statement that detailed his son’s illegal operation, said Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa said the filing of the charges had been delayed because they were strengthening the evidence against the suspects. Dela Rosa said they were getting the affidavits of nine allies of the Espinosas who could corroborate the claim of the mayor that these individuals were receiving protection money from Kerwin.
Senior Insp. Jovie Espenido, Albuera police chief, said those who were holding government positions would be charged at the Office of the Ombudsman. He added that the documents that they had put together were so voluminous that they would fill a multicab.
Dela Rosa, who was here for the 115th police service anniversary at the PNP Eastern Visayas headquarters at Camp Ruperto Kangleon, was given a copy of Mayor Espinosa’s affidavit by Espenido and Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar, police regional director.
During a news conference last week, Dela Rosa was asked to reveal the names of the people linked
by the mayor to the illegal drug trade but he declined, saying they needed to file the cases
first so arrest warrants would be issued.
“There were many exciting personalities. You will be interested to know them. They are prominent,” De la Rosa said.
Espenido said paperwork for the complaints against 74 people, mostly government employees, also contributed to the delay in the filing of charges.
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said two signal jammers would be installed inside Building 14 at the New Bilibid Prison to stop inmates from using their cellphones to conduct business.
Aguirre made the disclosure after two signal jammers, costing P2 million each, arrived at the Justice Department. The jammers can cover 1,200 square meters and are said to be 10 times more powerful than the improvised jammer inside the NBP.
Aguirre declined to reveal the identity of the Filipino who donated the jammers.
Building 14 currently houses 53 high-profile inmates including Herbert Colanggo, Jaybee Sebastian and Peter Co, who allegedly still managed their drug operation from inside the national penitentiary.
Aguirre said they need nore jammers to cover the nine-hectare Maximum Security Compound, saying it was important to cut off the inmates’ communication with the outside to stop illegal drug transactions.
Despite a series of raids in which thousands of mobile phones were confiscated, inmates continue to bring in the cellphones.
Also on Monday, Dela Rosa underscored the need to amend the Anti-Wire Tapping Law so that the government can win the war on illegal drugs.
Days after arriving from five-day visit in Columbia, Dela Rosa said that wire tapping would be an effective tool for monitoring the transactions of drug syndicates.
He said he would ask the President to make the amendment of the law a priority bill.
Under the law, which was passed in 1965, law enforcers are allowed to type private communications in relation to cases of treason, espionage, rebellion or sedition and kidnapping—but only with a court order. The Constitution also states that illegally wiretapped communications are inadmissible as evidence in court.
Aguirre had earlier proposed that police be authorized to tap the cellphones of suspected drug lords and high-profile inmates at the NBP, as the law does not cover drug-related offenses. With Francisco Tuyay