Alleged drug lord Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa accused incumbent Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa of pressuring him into admitting involvement in the narcotics trade and implicating high-profile individuals, including former Sen. Leila de Lima and businessman Peter Lim.
Espinosa made the revelation before the House Quad Committee, where he recounted his family’s ordeal as victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs), allegedly carried out as part of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
His father, accused drug lord and then Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa was killed inside his jail cell on November 5, 2016, after voluntarily surrendering to police.
The elder Espinosa surrendered to authorities after being warned by former President Rodrigo Duterte that he would be targeted if he did not turn himself in.
In his testimony, Espinosa recounted how after being arrested in Abu Dhabi, he was brought back to the Philippines on Nov. 17, 2016.
He further narrated that upon his arrival at around 11:00 pm, he was met by then-PNP chief Dela Rosa, and this is where he was coerced into tagging De Lima and Lim as drug personalities.
“I was fetched [from the airport] by ‘General Bato’ and his men… he put his arms around me and led me to a vehicle,” Espinosa narrated in Filipino how he was escorted into a white bulletproof Land Cruiser.
Once inside the vehicle, Espinosa said Dela Rosa sat in the front seat while he was sandwiched between two police officers in the back.
He said it was during this ride that Dela Rosa allegedly instructed him to admit his involvement in the country’s drug trade and to implicate both De Lima and Lim.
“He (Dela Rosa) told me to admit my involvement in the country’s drug trade, and to involve Peter Lim and Leila de Lima so they can also be pinned [to the drug trade],” he continued.
De Lima spent seven years in prison on drug charges but was later absolved of all accusations, which she claimed were fabricated to silence her.
Espinosa further claimed that Dela Rosa threatened him with harm if he did not comply, warning that the same fate that befell his father could happen to him or one of his family members, causing him to be terrified and unsure of what to do.
“If I don’t follow the plan, what happened to my father can happen to me, one of my family members will also die,” he lamented.
Espinosa further disclosed that he was instructed to include actor-politician Richard Gomez in the list of those involved in illegal drugs, even though he knew the accusations were baseless.
Despite immense pressure, Espinosa said he refused to falsely implicate Gomez, who was then the mayor of Ormoc City and now serves as the representative of Leyte’s fourth district.
Espinosa recounted how his father, prior to being killed, sought refuge at Dela Rosa’s residence, known as the White House in Camp Crame, in a desperate bid to stay alive.
Despite this, Mayor Espinosa was eventually transferred to Baybay Provincial Jail, where he was killed.
According to Espinosa, his father pleaded for his life before being shot dead.
“My father begged, ‘sir, don’t kill me,’ but no, he was still shot dead,” he said.
“My father served our dear city of Albuera well, but his good intentions were not fulfilled because he was killed. I hope that by coming here, I can help put an end to this issue and hold the guilty accountable,” Espinosa told Quad Comm members.
Meanwhile, the proceedings at the Lower Chamber did not escape Dela Rosa’s attention.
“Tell him, when I see him, I’ll punch him in the face,” is what he had to say about the younger Espinosa’s accusations.
“He’s such a liar. Why would he make up a story? While back then he was so well-behaved when he was in our custody. He was so kind, and now he’s saying many things. He’s really a drug lord,” Dela Rosa told reporters.
The senator, however, admitted that he talked to Espinosa once.
“I went to see him in his cell and asked him about Espenido. Other than that, we didn’t talk anymore,” Dela Rosa insisted.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Kerwin Espinosa admits lying under oath due to political pressure.”
