Mayor’s legal woes over drugs start
POLICE place markings on plastic bags of “shabu” found in the house of Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. of Albuera, Leyte. ROBERT DEJON/INQUIRER VISAYAS
TACLOBAN CITY—A criminal complaint that could lead to the arrest of Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., of Albuera town, Leyte, has been filed at the office of the provincial prosecutor here a day after police found at least 11 kilograms of “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) during a raid on the mayor’s house on Wednesday.
Arlene Cordovez, Leyte provincial prosecutor, said she would form a three-member panel to study the complaint against Espinosa for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (Republic Act No. 9165).
It was filed by the provincial police force of Leyte and the police force of Albuera town.
Cordovez declined to identify who would sit in the panel that would study the complaint against Espinosa, citing security reasons.
But she said a subpoena would be issued to Espinosa requiring the mayor to answer the allegations in 60 days.
The filing of the complaint followed the raid on Espinosa’s house during which police also seized several high-powered firearms and explosives.
Espinosa, who is being accused of protecting a drug syndicate headed by his son, Kerwin, on Thursday accused police of planting the evidence.
“I am appealing to the President and to the Philippine National Police chief to order his men to stop these threats and harassment to my person and to members of my family,” Espinosa said in a statement.
Reached for comment, Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido, Albuera police chief, said there was no campaign to harass Espinosa. “Police officers don’t do that,” Espenido said in a phone interview. “We are protectors of our people.”
On Wednesday, Espenido and agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency raided the mayor’s house in Barangay Benolho and found the drugs, several guns and bomb-making materials.
Espenido said the local police did not possess such a volume of shabu that could be planted as evidence against the mayor.
In his statement, Espinosa insisted that he is not involved in his son’s drug syndicate, which has been tagged to be the biggest in Eastern Visayas. “It seems that the authorities are using me to pressure my son, Kerwin, to surrender,” he said.
The mayor has been confined in an undisclosed private hospital in Cebu City after complaining of chest pains.
“I have no plans of fleeing because I am innocent of all these charges and I still believe in the justice system that eventually will uphold my innocence,” Espinosa said.
He presented himself to Camp Crame after President Duterte issued a 24-hour ultimatum for him and his son to surrender or face a shoot-on-sight order.
Espinosa said he wanted to report to Director General Ronald dela Rosa, PNP chief, the threats being made by Espenido. He cited one instance when the police officer “said he will hang my head on the flagpole of the municipality.”
The mayor said he did not want to return to his municipality because he feared for his safety there.
Espenido called Espinosa’s claims a “product of his imagination” and assured the mayor of protection upon his return. With a report from Doris C. Bongcac and Chito Aragon, Inquirer Visayas
