A TRUSTED aide of Kerwin Espinosa, son of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa, surrendered to the police and turned over P24 million worth of shabu, the police reported Saturday.
Albuera town police chief Insp. Juvy Espenido identified the aide as Max Miro who also surrendered three kilograms of shabu, wrapped and ready for sale.
Wearing jeans and a black sweat shirt, the 40-year-old Miro handed a loaded 9-mm pistol to the police. He is also believed to be a hitman for the Espinosa drug gang.
During the first raid in the house of Mayor Espinosa, Miro and other bodyguards managed to escape. He went into hiding in Cebu with his family for three months.
Miro, however, gave himself up to Albuera police for fear of his safety.
Espenido said Miro’s surrender would strengthen the case against the protectors of Kerwin’s alleged drug business.
“All vital information provided by Miro will be used as evidence for cases that will be filed at the Ombudsman against government officials identified as Kerwin’s alleged protectors,” Espenido said.
Miro turned himself in to Espenido weeks after Mayor Espinosa called for him and three others to surrender. He was the last to yield.
Also on Saturday, the Interior Department said it would tap “volunteers” nationwide to help in the unwavering fight against illegal drugs, corruption and criminality.
Under the umbrella group of volunteers to be formed, called Masa Masid or Mamamayang Ayaw sa Anomalya, Mamamayang Ayaw sa Iligal na Droga, local stakeholders, volunteers, civic and faith-based organizations and the private sector can help the government in addressing the problem of illegal drugs in their communities.
“We are banking on the participation of the common people and faith-based organizations to spark the spirit of volunteerism in all 42,000 barangays in the Philippines so we can address the long-standing battle against drugs, corruption and criminality by the end of December this year,” Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno said.
In other developments:
• Anti-drug operatives from the Caloocan police have arrested two suspected big-time drug personalities who allegedly supply illegal drugs in Caloocan and parts of Manila, and seized from them about 84 grams of shabu worth P200,000.
• In Davao City, 33 drug surrenderers from five barangays are reported to have undergone a week-long disaster and management training through the initiative of Regional Public Safety Battalion 11 and Davao City’s Central 911.
In Manila, Sueno said if Filipinos would embrace volunteerism, peace and order threats could be thwarted and handled easily.
“The threat of terrorism is looming, especially that we have these recent bombings. We need volunteers to help us in the communities and report any suspicious-looking person or activity for us to curb drugs and terror,” he said.
“Not only will the government’s peace and order efforts be strengthened; even the barangay units, as well as the national government’s unified efforts against irregularity, criminality and drugs can be sustained,” he added.
The program, which will be launched on Sept. 26, focuses on three major interventions: demand reduction strategy through advocacy and education campaigns; demand and supply reduction through information gathering and reporting; and community-based rehabilitation program.
Elsewhere in the metropolis, Sr. Supt. Johnson Almazan, Caloocan police chief, identified before a news conference the nabbed suspects as Eddie Paunan, 56, and Angelito Quitan, 35.
They were arrested by the Caloocan police station anti-illegal drugs special operations task group led by Police Insp. Cecilio Tomas Jr., in coordination with the PDEA-NCR at 4:30 p.m. along Gen. San Miguel St., Sangandaan, Barangay 8, Caloocan.
Almazan said they were also checking the identities of the suspects whether they are involved in other crimes such as killings, as the two have pending criminal cases.
In Davao City, RPSB 11 Battalion commander Sr. Supt. Joel Consulta said he tapped the disaster-prone barangays in the city for the activity and each barangay chairman submitted names of volunteer drug surrenderers to join the week-long training.
“These barangays were the disaster-prone areas in the city; through this, our drug surrenderers will be involved in disaster and management training,” Consulta said.
He said the training is part of RPSB’s contribution to the drug campaign of the national government in the rehabilitation and reform of surrenderers. With Jun David, PNA and Pearl Gajunera