Espinosa henchman shot dead by masked men in Ormoc

ORMOC CITY, Leyte – Another trusted man of confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa was killed in Ormoc, Leyte.

Police said Joel Aberilla was shot dead at about 12:50 a.m. on Wednesday in Barangay Alta Vista.

Aberilla was drinking with three friends outside a convenience store when a white Toyota Innova suddenly stopped in front of them and three masked men got out and started shooting, said Chief Insp. Roger Octaviano of the Ormoc Police Station 1.

Octaviano said Aberilla tried to run but was shot in the back. When the victim fell to the ground, the gunmen approached him and finished him off with a shot in the head.

Residents told police that they heard seven gunshots, which matched the number of empty shells recovered from the crime scene – six from a rifle and one from a 9-mm pistol.

Police said Aberilla was one of the trusted men of Espinosa when the latter was still the biggest drug lord in Eastern Visayas.

The victim used to handle the finances of Espinosa in his illegal drugs operations in Ormoc and neighboring towns, according to authorities.

Aberilla was the second trusted man of Espinosa who was shot dead this year.

Last March, Espinosa’s alleged bagman, Max Miro, was shot dead in an alleged shootout with members of the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit who were serving a warrant for his arrest in Barangay Bantigue, this city. /cbb