CONTROVERSIAL PHOTO Sen. Leila de Lima is shown with suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa in this photo taken in March in Baguio City. The senator denies knowing Espinosa and his father. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is considering Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr. as a possible witness against Senator Leila De Lima.
“If he passes the assessment of the Witness Protection Program ( WPP), then we are going to offer immunity to Kerwin,” Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said at a press conference.
Espinosa Jr., the alleged big-time drug lord based in the Visayas, was recently arrested in the United Arab Emirates after months of hiding.
Espinosa Jr., together with De Lima and several others, was named in a drug case filed by Albuera police chief Juvie Espinido.
In his complaint, Espinido said De Lima received money from Espinosa.
He cited the affidavits of Marcelo Adorco, security and driver of Kerwin Espinosa, Rolan Kevin Espinosa, younger brother of Kerwin, and Vervica Diano, Kerwin’s personal accountant.
In his affidavit, Adorco said he met with De Lima last March in Baguio City where Kerwin and the former justice secretary had their photo together at Burnham Park. Kevin, on the other hand, said he met De Lima at Dampa restaurant where she had dinner with Kerwin who agreed to help her in her campaign for the May 2016 elections.
De Lima is currently facing a case for violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act for allegedly receiving money from high profile inmates at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). The DOJ is set to conduct a preliminary investigation into the complaints filed by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and former officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The Espinosas, including Albuera Mayor Rolando Sr., were among the first to be publicly accused by President Rodrigo Duterte of involvement in the drug trade. Soon after, the mayor turned himself in to Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa and eventually returned to Albuera to resume his duties.
Aguirre said they are currently studying if the DOJ can pursue De Lima’s case or the case should be turned over to the Office of the Ombudsman, the body that has jurisdiction over all government officials and employees.
He said it is possible that the DOJ can assume jurisdiction since the case is not graft and corruption but drugs.
“Just like in the case of Senator Lacson [referring to the Dacer-Corbito case], it was De Lima herself who prosecuted the case and who appealed the case before the Court of Appeals that dismissed the case…meaning to say that particular case, not being an anti-graft case, the DOJ and the RTC (Regional Trial Court) has primary jurisdiction,” Aguirre explained.
“We will study that very well,” Aguirre said./rga