Newsmakers: Kerwin Espinosa, PO3 Franklin Kho, Delfin Lorenzana, Zenaida Luz, others
Kerwin Espinosa
The long arm of the law has finally caught up with him. In hiding since May, the alleged drug lord of Leyte province was recently arrested in Abu Dhabi based on a tip from a Filipino working there. He had gone to a travel agency purportedly to extend his visa when he was recognized by other Filipinos.
Zenaida Luz
The anticrime crusader stepped out of their home in Gloria, Oriental Mindoro province, on the night of Oct. 9 after getting a text from an alleged drug pusher seeking protection for his family. It was a ruse. Two men riding a motorcycle soon came into view, and one of them fired at her, killing her. They were policemen.
Delfin Lorenzana
In his confirmation hearing last Wednesday, the low-key defense secretary admitted that President Duterte hasn’t consulted his Cabinet on his foreign policy pronouncements. Amid Mr. Duterte’s tough talk against the US, European Union and the United Nations, Lorenzana’s candor was a welcome relief for the lawmakers.
Rufino Rozzano Biazon
When he won a fresh term as a Muntinlupa City representative in the May 2016 elections, most have forgotten about his alleged role in the multibillion peso pork barrel scam. Days ago, the antigraft court Sandiganbayan ordered him suspended for 90 days for graft arising from the scam. He vowed to submit to the process.
PO3 Franklin Kho
The decorated policeman has found himself in the limelight for the wrong reason. He was the driver of the police van that mowed down protesters in an anti-US rally in Manila on Wednesday, sparking public outrage. He claimed he panicked when the protesters rocked the van and threatened to burn it.
Justin Brownlee
He was out of shape when first contacted for a job in the Philippine Basketball Association. Nobody knew who Justin Brownlee was when he arrived. But after hitting the series-deciding triple to end Barangay Ginebra’s eight-year wait for a title, Brownlee wrote himself into popular basketball lore and left the country a winner.
