Former bodyguard of Kerwin Espinosa recants testimony

Jose Antipuesto

A former bodyguard and “childhood friend” of alleged Visayan drug lord Kerwin Espinosa  recanted his testimony against his former employer during a hearing on Friday.

Taking the witness stand before Presiding Judge Silvino Pampilo of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 26, Jose Antipuesto claimed he had only signed an affidavit dated Aug. 3, 2016, after being coerced by Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido, then Albuera chief of police, to testify against Kerwin and his father, the late Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa.

The hearing was part of the ongoing trial against Kerwin, who is facing charges of illegal drug trading and possession of firearms following a drug raid on their Albuera residence in July last year.

Antipuesto and four other employees of Espinosa were also arrested during the raid.

In exchange

During the hearing, Antipuesto said he was forced by Espenido to sign the affidavit in exchange for not getting dragged into the complaint against Espinosa and the other accused, Pampilo told the Inquirer.

Espenido filed the charges against Espinosa, whom President Duterte had tagged alongside his father as being involved in the drug trade last year.

‘Duped’

Pampilo said Antipuesto recanted his testimony because he was “duped.”

The former bodyguard also noted in court that the affidavit was written in Filipino when he was not fluent in the language.

The said affidavit was recorded by PO3 Norman Abellanosa of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Regional Office 8 in Tacloban City in connection with the raid.

It alleged that Antipuesto knew about the Espinosas’ involvement in the drug trade since 2013.

It also claimed that the drugs seized from him during the sting was from the late elder Espinosa, whom he addressed in the affidavit as “Daddy Onik.”

During previous hearings, the younger Espinosa had claimed innocence and even accused police of planting evidence against him.