Kerwin Espinosa’s plea: Justice for father slain in jail

“WRONGFUL DEATH” Kerwin Espinosa (fifth from left), flanked by his slate as he launches his bid for mayor of Albuera in Leyte on Saturday, calls on President Marcos to help find justice for his father, Rolando Espinosa Sr., who was killed in November 2016 at the height of the drug war of then President Rodrigo Duterte. —JOEY A. GABIETA

TACLOBAN CITY, LEYTE, Philippines — Confessed drug lord Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to give their family justice for the death of his father, former Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. of Albuera town in Leyte, who was killed at the height of the drug war of the Duterte administration.

“I appeal to our beloved President and Congress to provide justice for the death of my father, who was killed like an animal while detained inside a jail,” he told a news conference on Saturday, where he also launched his bid for the mayoral post used to be held by his father.

Kerwin maintained his father was innocent when the former mayor was arrested on drug charges and was later killed in an alleged shoot-out with operatives of the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group while inside his cell at the subprovincial jail in Baybay town, Leyte, on Nov. 5, 2016.

Rolando Sr. was elected mayor of Albuera in May 2016 but was arrested when his name was included in Duterte’s list of politicians allegedly involved in the illegal drugs trade.

Kerwin said innocent people were killed during the drug war of the Duterte administration, including his father.

“I want to seek justice for those who died due to the war on drugs implemented during the Duterte administration, especially in the case of my father, who was killed while inside jail,” stressed Espinosa, who also expressed his willingness to testify before the International Criminal Court on the brutal war on drugs during the Duterte administration.

Pressures

Kerwin, who was out of the country when his father was killed, was arrested on Oct. 17, 2016, in Dubai and was deported to Manila on Nov. 16, 2016, to face charges that he allegedly ran one of the biggest drug operations in Eastern Visayas.

He was released in June this year after the drug charges against him were dismissed by a Leyte court. However, he is still facing money laundering charges in a court in Pasay City and a revived illegal possession of drugs and firearms in a Manila City court.

Espinosa, who has filed his certificate of candidacy for mayor of Albuera under a local party in next year’s midterm elections, said he definitely would not back the candidacy of reelectionist Sen. Ronaldo dela Rosa, claiming the former PNP chief allegedly pressured him to implicate individuals in the illegal drug trade, including former Sen. Leila de Lima.

“Many people died because of him. He is useless in the government. Don’t vote for him. I am telling you, he’ll get zero votes here in the municipality of Albuera,” he said.

Espinosa recalled that during the Senate inquiry on illegal drugs, he dealt with “so much pressure” from Dela Rosa just to cough up names.

“And to anyone who was implicated by my testimony in the Senate, I sincerely apologize to all of you,” he said.

He added: “And I am happy that she (De Lima) accepted my apology.”

Drug lord no more

If elected mayor, Espinosa promised to make Albuera a drug-free town and asked the media to stop referring to him as a “self-confessed drug lord,” claiming that it was Dela Rosa who coined the term.

While admitting his involvement in illegal drugs in the past, he insisted that he is now a changed man and should be given the chance to prove it.

“All of us change,” said Espinosa, whose running mate is his younger sister, Mariel Espinosa.