Mayor’s death has chilling effect on other anti-drug witnesses

Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido, Albuera police chief, expressed shock over the death of mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., saying that this weakens the cases filed against suspected illegal drug protectors in the region.

THE killing of Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. will have a chilling effect on other witnesses against police and government officials charged for allegedly providing protection to the illegal drugs operation ran by his son, Kerwin.

“It can instill fear among them. What is the guarantee that they are still safe?” asked Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido, Albuera police chief.

Espenido was the one who convinced Espinosa to execute an affidavit and identify the government and police officials who provided protection to his son’s illegal drug, the biggest in Eastern Visayas.

The mayor listed 226 names including 19 politicians, four from the judiciary, 38 policemen, seven from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), one from Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, three from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, one from the Army and three from the Leyte media.

Separate complaints were later filed against 47 persons in Espinosa’s list at the Office of the Ombudsman, the prosecutor’s office and the Philippine National Police.

Among them were seven top officials including Sen. Leila de Lima, 33 police officers and seven private individuals.

Mayor Espinosa was vital witness to these cases. In exchange of the affidavit, Espenido assured the mayor of his safety and allowed him to stay in his police station until Oct. 5 when he was transferred to a sub-provincial jail in Baybay City to face charges of illegal possession of firearms and drugs.

Espinosa was killed in what the CIGG in Eastern Visayas claimed was a shootout at dawn on Nov. 5.

Espenido said he was surprised by the raid conducted by CIDG on Espinosa who was killed for allegedly possessing a single firearm. “We have conducted raids (against Espinosa) involving packs of shabu and cache of firearms. We did not harm or kill him. He eventually surrendered. But for a single firearm (he was killed)?” Espenido said.

Espenido planned to visit the wake of Espinosa in his house in Barangay Tinago, Albuera.

“I will apologize to his family. I really thought that he would be safe if he would be detained at the (Leyte sub provincial jail) but unfortunately, he was killed,” Espenido said.