Controversial police official Jovie Espenido on Friday admitted that both Albuera’s late Mayor Rolando Espinosa and his son Kerwin were not among- those arrested or seen during a drug buy-bust operation conducted in Albuera, Leyte last July 28, 2016.
Appearing in Espinosa’s trial before the Manila City Regional Trial Court, the former Albuera police chief testified against self-confessed drug distributor Kerwin, son of the late mayor, who is facing a case for drug trading and illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
In his testimony, Espenido told the court that five people were arrested during the buy-bust operation conducted at a basketball court in front of the house of Kerwin.
The prosecutor has offered Espenido’s testimony to the case of the young Espinosa, noting that two of the five people arrested identified the Mayor and his son as those with a hand in the drug operations in the area.
During the July 28, 2016 raid conducted at Sitio Tinago, Barangay Binolho in Albuera, Leyte, authorities confiscated over 200 grams of shabu and assorted firearms. Authorities also arrested Marcelo Adorco, Jose Antepuesto, Jessie Ocarez, Ernesto Dumalat and Jeffrey Pesquera.
“When you conducted the buy bust on July 28, 2016, would you agree that the mayor was nowhere in sight and Kerwin?,” the defense lawyer asked Espenido who replied in the affirmative.
When asked about Espenido’s testimony, Kerwin denied owning the confiscated drugs.
“Hindi akin yon. Wala nga ako dito nung nangyari yun [referring to the raid],” Espinosa said, in a chance interview.
The charges had been originally heard by Branch 14 of the Baybay, Leyte RTC, but the Supreme Court ordered its transfer to Metro Manila based on the request of the prosecution and defense camps citing security reasons for their plea.
The elder Espinosa was killed along with another inmate in a police raid inside the Baybay sub-provincial jail in November last year.
