Kerwin Espinosa for mayor: Albuera residents warned on voting for him

Ex-Albuera, Leyte Cop Chief Espenido: Confessed drug lord allegedly continues his drug trade

Retired Albuera Police Chief Jovie Espenido.

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — Retired Albuera Police Chief Jovie Espenido has warned town residents of the possible resurgence of illegal drug operations if Kerwin Espinosa wins as their next mayor in the May elections.

Espenido alleged that Espinosa, a self-confessed drug lord, had continued to operate his illegal drugs business.

“According sa mga… kay mag agad man gud ta sa information sa authority, kay naa man pud tay access, nagpabilin gihapon [ang illegal drugs sa Albuera]. When in fact, ang 25 kilos sa Cebu nga gida unta paingon diri, taga Isabel gani mismo ang nadakpan.  On record man na. Mao toy pohonan para karong election para nila ni Kerwin. Sila nagprove, ang mga operatives nga nagpadayon gihapon,” said Espenido who retired from police service in October 2024.

(According to.. I rely on information given by authorities because I continue to have access, [illegal drug operations] continue in Albuera. When in fact, the 25 kilos from Cebu that was brought here, a resident of Isabel [town] was arrested.  That is on record.  That was supposed to be used for the election of Kerwin. Operatives proved that illegal drug operations continue.)

READ: Kerwin Espinosa shot while campaigning

Espenido is a resident of Isabel, Leyte and served as Albuera Police Station chief during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

READ: Albuera shooting: CCTV footage shows Espinosa men ‘armed’

Vote wisely

With this information, Espenido is urging Albuera town residents to vote wisely in the elections.

“Kamo nga mga taga Albuera dili na mo kinahanglan sulti-an kun kinsa si Kerwin kay taga diha gud na ninyo. Mura og mga buta diha, mga bungol kun pasabton pa mo,” Espenido said.

(Residents of Albuera no longer need to be told who Kerwin is because you are from the same town.  It’s as if you are acting blind and deaf if you still needed to be told.)

READ: Gomez on Kerwin’s allegation: ‘Don’t believe somebody like him’

“Akong tan-aw ninyo sa taga Albuera, pagpili mo og insakto nga dili makaguba sa dungog sa Albuera nga ato na nang gihinlo. Nawa na na. Unya karon inyo na pud apilan ana nga ang pagpili ninyo kang Kerwin nga makahatag na sad og guba og balik są Albuera sa panan -aw sa taw,” he added.

(I am urging the people of Albuera to chose wisely to prevent the destruction of Albuera that I already put to order [when i was your police chief]. Drugs was already eliminated and if you elect Kerwin the town will again be placed on a bad light in the eyes of other people.)

Changed man?

Espinosa had filed his Certificate of Candidacy for Albuera town mayor with the platform of ridding his hometown of illegal drugs.

For Espenido, action speaks louder than words.

He said that for Espinosa to prove that he is now a changed man, he should not have joined the May 12 mayoral race.

“Dapat kang Kerwin dili gyud mo apil og politika for the meantime nga init ang panahon. Iya usa ipakita, iprobar usa sa mga taw sa Albuera nga dili sa ko mo apil ana kay personal interest man gud dayon nga gikan pa sa problema nga known siya unya mo apil siya sa pagkakandidato” Espenido said.

(Kerwin should not have joined politicas for the meantime.  First, he should prove to the people of Albuera that he is not only after his personal interest because he was implicated to illegal drugs and immediately thereafter he is seeking elective office.)

Illegal drugs

Espenido, however, clarified that he was not God to judge Kerwin.  He was merely sharing his opinion being the former Albuera police chief.

“Kamo nga mga botante sa Albuera, ako magsulti ninyo nga naghago ko diha sa Albuera para mahinlo. Na disband nato ang Espinosa group. Wala mo abot ug buwan. Ang papa naya nag surrender kang former Chief PNP Bato. Nag storya mi sa yang papa. Ato gi tagad og maayo iyang papa, pati silang tibuok pamilya. When in fact, silang tibuok pamilya naa nag puyo sa akong police station kay ato gyud silang giatiman,” he said.

(To you voters of Albuera, I would like to tell you that I worked so hard to rid the town of illegal drugs. I was able to disband the Espinosa group.  In less than a month.  The father surrendered to former Chief PNP Bato [Dela Rosa]. I talked to his father.  I attended to his needs, including that of the whole family.  In fact, there was a time that the whole family lived at the police station because I took care of them.)

Espenido said it would take time for Espinosa to prove that he was no longer involved in the illegal drugs trade.

“Siguro pila ka tuig gikan karon ma prove niya nga tarong na gyud si Kerwin, wala na gyud siya mo apil ana. Pero for the meantime lisud nga ikumbinsi niya ang taw tungod sa kasayo sa sitwasyon nga iyang gi apilan nga ni kandidato siya,” he said.

(It will take years for Kerwin to prove that he is already a changed man and that he is no longer involved in illegal drugs. but for the meantime, it will be difficult for him to convince the people, especially since he is now a candidate.)

READ: Leyte mayoral bet Kerwin Espinosa files raps vs 7 Ormoc cops

Kerwin Espinosa tells Albuera residents that he has a mission from God. | grabbed from video posted on his Fb page

Mission from God

In his speech in a campaign sortie on Thursday, April 24, Espinosa said that God has given him a mission to serve the people of Albuera town.

“Ako si Kerwin Espinosa. Ang Ginoo gayoy nagbuot ngano iya akong gitagaan og lain pa nga kinabuhi kay iyang nakita ang sulod sa akong kasing-kasing,” he said.

(I am Kerwin Espinosa.  It was God’s will to give me a second life because he saw what is inside my heart.

Espinosa was shot while attending a campaign sortie in Barangay Tinag-an last April 10.

“Nakita sa atong Ginoo nga waay plano nga dautan para sa katawhan sa lungsod sa Albuera. Kundi ang nakita niya, ang BEPK magserbisyo og tinud-anay ngadto sa katawhan, hilabi na gayod ang atoang mga senior citizen,” he said.

(God saw that we do not have evil plans for the people of Albuera. What he saw BEPK’s desire honest to goodness service, especially to our senior citizens.)

“Kay kun wala pa koy misyon nga gihatag sa Ginoo, si Kerwin Espinosa istorya na lang. Istorya na lang siya pero ang iyang lawas patay na,” he added.

(If I do not have a mission from God, Kerwin Espinosa would have been a mere story by now.  He will just be talked about but his body is already dead.)

Espinosa said that he was ready to offer his life to Albuera town residents.

“Isaad nako ninyo nga kining akong kinabuhi ihalad nako sa katawhan sa lungsod sa Albuera,” he said.

(I am making a promise to offer my life to the people of Albuera town.)