Lawyer of suspected drug lord, teener shot dead in Leyte

Rogelio Bato Jr., lawyer of suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, and teenager
Angelika Bonita were shot dead by hitmen in Tacloban City on Aug. 23, 2016. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte — The lawyer of suspected drug lord Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr. and his 15-year-old companion were killed on Tuesday afternoon when unidentified men fired at the pick-up they were riding in, in Barangay Lumbang II this city.

Rogelio Bato Jr., 48, and a resident of V & G Subdivision here, and Angelika Bonita of Barangay 75, were heading to the Robinsons Mall at about 2:20 p.m. when they were fired upon by men on board a white pick-up and a motorcycle.

Police had yet to determine if the ambush was related to the drug cases being handled by the lawyer, including those involving Kerwin and other suspected drug pushers such as Ricardo Rondina who was detained and his cousin, Ferdinand Rondina who was out on bail.

Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., father of Kerwin, didn’t issue a statement on the death of his son’s lawyer.

But Albuera municipal administrator Daryl Menesis told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the elder Espinosa could not talk because the mayor was crying when he heard about the ambush.

In this Aug. 4, 2016 file photo, Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. arrives at CIDG, Camp Crame. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ LYN RILLON)

“We will do everything we can to establish the motive and identify the suspects,” said Senior Supt. Rolando Bade, Tacloban City police director.

He said they didn’t know where the victims came from but the two were heading to the mall.

Bato was driving the maroon Toyota pick-up (YHH 461) while the girl, who was wearing her school uniform, was on the front seat. The girl was a fourth year high school student of  the Sagkahan National High School.

Witnesses told police that the pick-up slowed down because of the road construction in Lumbang II.

Bato, however, didn’t notice that he was being tailed by men on board a white pick-up and motorcycle.

The perpetrators, who were armed with .45 caliber pistols and M16 rifles, then overtook the lawyer’s pick-up and fired at the vehicle.

Both were killed on the spot due to multiple gunshot wounds.

Bade said the police recovered several empty shells of a .45 pistol and M16 rifles at the crime scene.  SFM

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