Kerwin to disclose names in drug trade

Alleged Filipino drug lord Kerwin Espinosa listens to a question as he is presented to the media upon arrival from Abu Dhabi early Friday, Nov. 18, 2016 at Camp Crame in suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, Philippines. Espinosa, whose father Mayor Rolando Espinosa was killed inside his detention cell, told a news conference he will “tell all” those involved in the illegal drug trade in the country.(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa has disclosed the names of officials, mostly police officials, as among those who accepted drug money from him, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said on Monday.

Lacson said he had seen the draft judicial affidavit executed by Espinosa, son of slain Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., and said to be the biggest drug lord in Eastern Visayas.

Espinosa is set to appear at the resumption tomorrow of the Senate inquiry into the Nov. 5 police killing of his father inside the Leyte subprovincial jail.

The hearing has been moved to the Senate from the original venue in Camp Crame in Quezon City where Espinosa is currently detained.

Lacson told reporters that Espinosa’s affidavit contained new names and included government officials, but mostly police officials.

The senator also said that Espinosa had stated in his affidavit that he hoped he would not suffer the fate of his father.

Former jueteng whistleblower Sandra Cam claimed two senators were named by Kerwin as among those he had paid off with drug money.

Cam did not identify the two senators but said one of them got a total of P8 million on three occasions in October, November and December last year, apparently used in the campaign.

This senator allegedly personally got the money from Kerwin himself twice in Metro Manila and once “up North,” according to Cam.

“[Espinosa’s list] includes very high-level personalities in the police force. He also implicated many generals… congressmen, governors and he mentioned a fiscal and from there you can see how massive the protection in the illegal drug trade,” said Cam.

But Sen. Manny Pacquiao insisted Kerwin only implicated one senator who received more or less P8 million.

He said Kerwin had told him he would tell all and tell the truth on all those involved in his business.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said that Kerwin had spilled the beans on his alleged drug protectors in a 38-page affidavit he drafted under the supervision of the Department of Justice and National Bureau of Investigation inside his cell at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center.

But Aguirre said he had not seen the affidavit but was told that the affidavits of both father and son were not that different from each other.

The elder Espinosa had identified over 200 officials in his affidavit before he was killed although his brother claimed that he was forced to sign it.