Leyte councilor, husband caught with shabu, linked to Espinosa

Jesryl Bacalla and wife Jean, hide their faces, after they are caught with P5.9M shabu during a police drug bust in Cebu City. Bacalla is suspected to be a drug runner in Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr.’s drug network. He denies links to Espinosa but admits he sold shabu. (CDN/ LITO TECSON)

CEBU CITY — A barangay (village) councilor from Baybay City, Leyte, and her husband — who has been linked to suspected drug lord Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr. — were arrested by the police in Barangay Labangon, Cebu City, past 10 p.m. on Wednesday, for possessing at least P5.9 million worth of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride).

Jesryl Bacalla, allegedly a drug runner in Espinosa’s drug network, and his wife Jean, a councilor of Barangay Poblacion Zone 3 in Baybay, were detained at the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) stockade to face charges of violating Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Bacalla, 43, was caught while attempting to sell a pack of shabu to an undercover policeman at his rented apartment.

Police later found a bag containing 500.5 grams of shabu inside his room.

Jean, 46, was also arrested.

Seen on the suspects’ cell phone was a video of themselves sniffing illegal drugs.

Senior Supt. Joel Doria, director of the CCPO, said Bacalla was a member of Kerwin Espinosa’s drug group who went to Cebu City a month ago to avoid arrest in Baybay.

“Jesryl knew policemen in Leyte were looking for him so he decided to come
to Cebu City to hide himself,” he said in an interview.

Bacalla was born and raised in Cebu City before he transferred to Baybay  in Leyte in the 1990s after he got married to Jean.

Bacalla admitted he was a drug runner or was paid to bring shabu from one place to another when he was in Baybay.

But he denied being part of Kerwin’s group.

He told reporters that he got his supply of drugs in Mindanao but refused to give  specifics about the illegal drugs trade.

After President Rodrigo Duterte took office last June 30, Bacalla said he opted to stay away from illegal drugs for fear he might get killed.

He left Baybay and returned to Barangay Labangon in Cebu City where he grew up.

But Bacalla said he decided to request for about 500 grams of shabu from his source when he ran out of money.

“I don’t have money and so I asked for a supply of drugs. I really would have wanted to stop because it’s too risky,” he explained.

Bacalla used to work for the Baybay City government before he quit when he underwent a gall bladder surgery.

His wife Jean said she was never into the illegal drugs trade although she occasionally used shabu with her husband.

Jean said she wanted to use drugs to forget her problems about her husband.

Despite their problem, Jean, an incumbent councilor in Barangay Poblacion Zone 3 in Baybay, said she had been skipping some council sessions to visit Bacalla in Cebu City.

The couple’s eldest son was detained in Baybay for possession of illegal drugs.

Their three other children were with them when they were arrested by the police.

Bacalla and Jean were waiting for their relatives to pick up their three children who were waiting outside the CCPO stockade.  SFM/rga