Kerwin Espinosa to give testimony in Senate probe on pa’s killing
Alleged drug lord Kerwin Espinosa is presented to media after his return to the country from Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Nov. 18, 2016. AP FILE PHOTO
The Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs has resumed its investigation into the Nov. 5 killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. to hear the testimony of his son, Kerwin.
Kerwin, an alleged drug lord in Eastern Visayas, arrived in the Senate shortly before 7:00 a.m. or two hours before the scheduled hearing of the committee chaired by Senator Panfilo Lacson.
The suspected drug lord had allegedly tagged Senator Leila de Lima as among the personalities allegedly involved in illegal drugs based on his draft affidavit submitted to the Senate and on a conversation with Senator Manny Pacquiao.
Pacquiao said Kerwin told him that he had given De Lima P8 million in tranches.
“Binanggit n’ya na P8 million ‘yung naibigay n’ya du’n kay De Lima totally (He said that he gave De Lima P8 million in total),” he said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel’s morning show “Headstart” on Tuesday.
Article continues after this advertisementREAD:Pacquiao: Kerwin claims giving P8M ‘protection money’ to De Lima
Pacquiao said Kerwin also told him that Supt. Marvin Marcos, the relieved head of director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) unit in Region 8, had demanded P3 million from him. The suspected drug lord claimed giving him only P1.5 million.
Article continues after this advertisementLacson confirmed that De Lima’s name was mentioned in the draft affidavit of Kerwin.
He also confirmed that Marcos, and two other members of the CIDG team that raided the mayor’s cell at Baybay, Leyte provincial jail, were also in Kerwin’s payroll based on the draft affidavit.
“Offhand, ang nakita ko sa affidavit kaya sinabi ko medyo lumiliwanag ang motibo, nakita ko na nasa payola niya mga opisyal na nasangkot sa pagkamatay ng ama niya (Offhand, I can tell that the motive is becoming clear, that the officials involved in the death of his father were on his payroll),” Lacson said in an interview on Tuesday.
“Tutal, identified naman sino talaga pumatay sa tatay niya pero (Anyway, those who killed his father were already identified, but) he mentioned Marcos, Laraga, Matira in his affidavit na siyang kumukuha ng regular na payola from him (who regularly got money from him),” he added.
Laraga is Chief Insp. Leo Laraga, leader of the team that raided the mayor’s cell, while Matira is Supt. Santi Noel Matira, the team’s supervisor. CDG
