Kerwin Espinosa’s right-hand man surrenders to PNP

KERWIN’S MAN Chief Insp. Jove Espenido, police chief of Albuera town in Leyte province, says Max Miro (right), the top aide of suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, led policemen to a spot where he hid a stash of “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride, shown in foreground), worth P24 million, on orders of Espinosa. ROBERT DEJON/Inquirer Visayas

ALBUERA, Leyte—A man who police said is the right-hand man of Kerwin Espinosa, identified as the biggest drug lord in the Eastern Visayas region, surrendered on Friday and turned over P24 million worth of “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) to authorities.

Chief Insp. Jove Espenido, police chief of Albuera town in Leyte province, said he assured Max Miro that no case would be filed against him because he decided to surrender.

Aside from turning over his 9-mm pistol, Miro led Espenido to where he hid three kilograms of shabu. The packs of shabu were underneath a drawer in his house in Sitio Tinago 1 in Barangay Benolho, Albuera.

On orders

Miro told police that he hid the shabu on orders of Espinosa before the latter left Albuera.

The shabu was part of the stash of illegal drugs that was eventually found inside the house of Espinosa’s father, Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., also in Benolho, police said.

Police found 11 kg of shabu during that raid last month.

Miro said he decided to surrender because he was tired of hiding.

He said he went home to Cebu province after two of the mayor’s bodyguards and three employees of the Espinosa family were arrested in a drug bust outside Kerwin’s house on July 28.

Miro said he was in the mayor’s house when the operation was conducted.

Miro said he later went to Ormoc City, Leyte province, to hide. From Ormoc, he went to Cebu where he hid for a month before staying with his relatives in Davao.

He returned to Albuera last week and decided to surrender.