‘May God forgive you… And I forgive you,’ lady senator tells drug suspect

High-profile drug suspect Kerwin Espinosa yesterday appeared at the Senate investigation into the killing of his father – Albuera, Leyte, Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. – and pinned down Senator Leila de Lima, saying he gave her a total of P8 milion to help finance her senatorial campaign during the May, 2016 elections.

At the joint hearing of the Senate Committees on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs and on Justice and Human Rights, Espinosa confirmed he gave the money in tranches through her former bodyguard-driver and lover, Ronnie Dayan.

De Lima, in a televised interview, had earlier admitted her relationship with Dayan, a love affair confirmed by the latter in a press conference after authorities arrested him in La Union the other day.

Espinosa said it was Dayan who contacted him, asking for his help as De Lima needed funds to finance her senatorial campaign. When he sought the opinion of Peter Co and  Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz – two major traders of illegal drugs  who he had earlier known – both said it was safe to make transactions with De Lima.

“When I called Jaguar to confirm if it was really true that De Lima was transacting with businessmen who are into illegal trade, and if they would protect us, he said it’s true,” Espinosa told senators during the proceedings.

“I also asked Peter Co because he was already my boss, and he told me they have no problem with that as long as we keep the transaction hidden,” he added.

Espinosa said Dayan originally asked for P2-million “goodwill money” but he haggled for a lower amount as he cannot afford it. They eventually settled for P700,000 monthly but still Dayan insisted on the P2-million goodwill money.

After raising the amount, Espinosa said he handed the first batch of the money – P2 million in goodwill money – over to Dayan at a parking lot in a mall in Pasay City in August, 2015. The second batch of the money – P1.7 million – was given to Dayan a restaurant in Dampa near Macapagal Boulevard in October, 2015, before he went up to Baguio City to meet the senator.

Espinosa said it was Dayan who arranged the meeting between him and De Lima, and was introduced as “Batman” – a name he suggested to Dayan to conceal his identity.

Espinosa said his meeting with De Lima took place at Burnham Park in Baguio City sometime in November 19 to 22, 2015.

After handing over to Dayan another batch of the money at a parking lot in Burnham Park, Espinosa said he posed for a picture with the senator, together with his family. But he said there was no conversation between him and De Lima as Dayan had warned him that the senator won’t be able to talk to him as there are many people around.

Espinosa said he gave the last tranche of the money – P2.3 million – on February, 2016, inside a parking lot of a mall in Pasay City. Afterwards, he returned to Leyte. In all, Espinosa said he gave P8 million to De Lima, through Dayan.

Prior to his transaction with De Lima, Espinosa said he was vacationing at the Anilao Beach Resort in Batangas when he received a call from Chief Inspector Juvie Espenido, Albuera police chief, tipping him off about Dayan’s offer.

 De Lima’s response: ‘I forgive you.’

De Lima, who attended the Senate proceedings to hear Espinosa’s testimony, said she feels it is already pointless to refute the drug suspect’s accounts and his allegations against her.

“I actually have no intention to confront this resource person. I have no intention to ask questions from him, even if I want to because I think it would be a cross-examiner’s dream. But I feel that it would be pointless, useless, futile for me to do so given a very nice script, at least insofar as the portions of his testimony about me are concerned,” she said during the probe.

She, however, reiterated she did not received any money either for protection or fund-raising campaign expenses from Espinosa.

“…Let me say to my colleagues here, and everyone in this hall, and to everyone listening and watching these proceedings. I say this to you: I categorically, firmly, and absolutely deny having known Mr. Kerwin Espinosa. I do not remember any instance or occasion of having met him. I categorically, firmly, and absolutely deny having received any money, any cash from Mr. Kerwin Espinosa, either directly or indirectly through anyone else, in any occasion at any time, whether that money is supposedly for either protection or fund-raising for campaign expenses,” she said.

“Alam po yan ni Mr. Kerwin Espinosa na sa punto nung kanyang testimonya ngayon about me having received money, having talked to him, having met him anywhere, whether it’s Burnham, anywhere, ay total fabrication. To me, that portion of his testimony is under gunpoint, under duress. So it’s pointless for me to question him on those points.

She also said it would not be appropriate for her to do so because there would be questions on her objectivity since she is also being implicated in the illegal drug trade.

“Kaya hindi po ako magtatanong sa kanya. I would want to give my colleagues free hand, full liberty in questioning Mr. Kerwin Espinosa about any part of his testimony,” she said.

“Final message ko po kay Mr. Kerwin Esponsa. I cannot talk to him directly, but may I just say this: May God forgive you for all your sins, and may God forgive you for all your lies about me. And I forgive you,” she stressed.

OFFICIALS CLEARED

At the same hearing, Espinosa sought to clear his father, Mayor Espinosa, of any involvement in the illegal drug trade.

During his testimony, Kerwin also cleared personalities his deceased father allegedly included in his affidavit as part of the illegal drug trade. Among those he declared innocent were former actor Richard Gomez, who is now mayor of Ormoc City, Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso, Governor Leopoldo Petilla, Vice Governor Carlo Loreto, and Baybay Vice Mayor Mike Cari.

In the first place, Kerwin said his father is not in a position to provide information about those involved in illegal drugs, saying he was the only one who was into the illicit trade.

EXASPERATION – Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald dela Rosa breaks down during the joint hearing by the Senate Committees on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, and Justice and Human Rights on the death of former Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa. Frustrated, he said it seems he can no longer trust anybody in the fight against illegal drugs in the country. (Ali Vicoy | Manila Bulletin)

EXASPERATION – Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald dela Rosa breaks down during the joint hearing by the Senate Committees on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, and Justice and Human Rights on the death of former Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa. Frustrated, he said it seems he can no longer trust anybody in the fight against illegal drugs in the country. (Ali Vicoy | Manila Bulletin)

The mayor was killed inside the Leyte sub-provincial jail in Baybay City on Nov. 5.

Kerwin also denied owning a “blue book” that purportedly contains the list of personalities receiving protection money.

“Ang papa ko ay walang kinalaman, inosente siya. Ako ang may alam sa lahat dahil dito sa sinalaysay ko,” the younger Espinosa said.

The signature on the affidavit of his father were also forged. “Itong pirmang isang ito, hindi ito pirma ng papa ko. (This signature is not my father’s),” he said.

Asked why his father would be tagged in the issue, Espinosa pointed to Espenido, saying the police official has a grudge against him because they worked for rival political families in Leyte.

“Hanggang ngayon nagtatanim siya ng galit sa akin at sa pamilya ko kaya ginagawa niya itong mga di niya dapat gawin dahil isa siyang pulis… inaapakan niya kami, kinokontrol niya kami, (Until now he can’t get over his anger against me and my family that’s why he is doing the things he’s not supposed to do as a policeman. He’s maligning and controlling us),” he said.

ANOTHER MARCOS ON THE SPOT

In the same testimony, the younger Espinosa confirmed that Supt. Marvin Marcos, head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Region 8 which led the raid inside the sub-provincial jail that eventually killed his father, received P3 million from him.

Marcos, he said, sought for financial help for his wife, who was then running for vice mayor of Pastrana, Leyte. But he haggled for P2.5 million because his money is allotted for the candidacy of his father.

Marcos, however, refuted this, saying it is impossible that he would even ask for financial help for his wife.

“Hiwalay na ako sa asawa ko since 2013, not legally but bumukod na ko, nakatira na ko sa father ko (I’ve been separated from my wife since 2013, not legally, but I’m already living with my father),” Marcos told senators.

“We are formally separated since January, 2013. Bakit ako tutulong dun (Why will I help her?),” he said, adding that he even cut off his extension credit card so he can still receive his salary.

When confronted with allegations that the killing of Mayor Espinosa was premeditated, Marcos turned emotional as he told Senate probers that he was just doing his job. The Espinosa family, he said, were notorious in Albuera.

“Nagta-trabaho lang din kami, sir,” said Marcos, his voice wavering, before allowing Supt. Leo Laraga, another co-accused in the Espinosa killing to talk.

Espinosa also implicated Chief Supt. Asher Dolina, former Eastern Visayas police chief, as protector of illegal drug trade, an accusation vehemently denied by the police official.

HOW DRUG TRADE STARTED

Espinosa said he has been in the drug trade since 2004, with only 3.8 grams of shabu to begin with. His business eventually grew, saying 50 grams of shabu, his biggest transaction, earning millions in each transaction.

But when President Duterte won in the May presidential elections, he took it as a sign of the cming cleansing process.

“Nasa isip ko na talaga na iba talaga ang mangyayari sa mga iligalista. May cleansing na magaganap. Kasi totoo, may tao din ako sa Davao, may parokyano, nagsasabi na totoong tao si Duterte. Talagang may paninindigan si President Duterte,” Espinosa told senators.

He even noted that even before Duterte took his oath of office, a lot of high-profile drug suspects were killed one by one.

One of those he mentioned was Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz, his former boss; and Rowen Secretaria, also known as “Yawa.”

During the proceedings, Espinosa admitted being an underling of Diaz, and he gets his supply from Lovely Adam Impal, a mestiza girl whom he only knows to be living in Makati City.

Espinosa said he was Diaz’s downline until 2011, when their business relationship turned sour after his wife and Jaguar got into a relationship.

Diaz, one of the alleged big-time drug dealers in Cebu City, was killed in an operation in Las Piñas City last June 19, barely a week after planning to surrender to police. Espinosa’s ex-wife, Annalou Llaguno, was also shot and killed in Cebu City last October. (With a report from Nestor L. Abrematea)

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Hannah L. Torregoza

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]