The joint Senate committees on public order and dangerous drugs and justice and human rights will hear suspected eastern Visayas drug lord Kerwin Espinosa’s testimony at the Senate tomorrow.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson confirmed the change of venue for the public inquiry and investigation into the killing of Albuera, Leyte mayor Rolando Espinosa, Sr. as Senate leaders discussed the venue of the probe.
Due to security reasons, the original venue for the hearing was supposed to be at the Main Conference Room of the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
But Lacson said the PNP leadership agreed to hold the probe at the Senate because the conference room was small.
The hearing would commence at 9 a.m. and would be held at the Senators Recto and Laurel Rooms at the Senate building in Pasay City.
HIGH PERSONALITIES NAMED
In a chance interview at the Senate, Sandra Cam, president of the Whistleblowers’ Association of the Philippines said Kerwin tagged very high personalities in the drug trade in one of their conversations.
Espinosa returned to the country Friday from Abu Dhabi and vowed to tell all about his drug dealings now that his father, Rolando Espinosa, the former mayor of Abuera, Leyte is gone. Kerwin believes his father was a victim of a rubout when elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 8 barged into the Baybay City sub-provincial jail last November 5 on the guise of serving a search warrant.
Sen. Manny Pacquiao whom Kerwin requested to speak to immediately upon his return said the younger Espinosa denied being a drug lord but “admitted that the family was dealing in drugs.”
Pacquiao said the information revealed by Kerwin about his dealings in illegal drugs is “shocking.”
“Malalaking personalities po, very high level personalities. At pati yung sa mga kapulisan, maraming heneral ang sangkot at malalaman natin ngayong kung sino ang nagpapatay sa kanyang ama (He mentioned big names, very prominent personalities. Even in the police force, there are a lot of generals involved and we will be able to learn who really killed his father),” Cam told reporters in an interview.
“Dahil makikita po natin ang lalim. Nung nagkukuwento siya sa akin he was very..ok lang…pero nang ipakita ko ang picture ng mga anak niya na nakunan ko dun sa bahay niya sa Abu Dhabi bigla siyang nag breakdown, (He has deep information. When he recounted to me, he was okay, but when I showed him the picture of his children in Abu Dhabi, he broke down),” Cam related.
Cam assured that the younger Espinosa is ready to face the Senate and bare all that he knows and mention the names of those involved in the drug trade.
WHO’S WHO
“Kailangan lang natin na mabuhay siya, huwag siya na magasgasan para mailutang kung sino talaga ang protector ng droga dito sa bansa (We need him alive. He should not even be bruised so he can disclose who are really the drug protectors in this country),” she said.
“Basta malalaking tao, senador, congressman, governor, mayor, general at mga binanggit siyang fiscal. Doon nating makikita na talamak talaga ang protection ng droga kaya magpasalamat tayo na ang ating Presidente wala siyang pakialam, kahit anong batikos sa kanya, ang kanyang campaign promise na to deal with illegal drugs, kahit sa iba hindi maganda ang pandinig, pero ito malilinis talaga. Itong paglutang ni Kerwin na he is tough enough, brave enough to tell all dito sa Senado,” she said.
Almost all of those involved in Kerwin’s list, Cam said, are incumbent officials.
EXTENSIVE
Lacson said Kerwin’s affidavit that was e-mailed to him “is more extensive” than that of his father’s. He did not elaborate.
It reportedly carried a long list of names but had no time to go over these names as he is busy preparing his questions on the proposed 2017 P3.3 trillion national budget which is being debated on the Senate session hall since early last week.
Asked whether or not it would be necessary for Espinosa to name all the officials. Lacson replied: “Depende sa takbo ng tanong. Siyempre sasagutin niya. Pero guided pa siya ng affidavit niya. Pero wala siyang Blue Book. Sabi niya wala siyang Blue Book (It depends on the line of questioning. He has to answer the questions but he is guided by his affidavit. He denied having a Blue Book (containing who were bribed).”
One alleged high-profile personality in Espinosa’s payroll is Sen. Leila de Lima whom the young Espinosa had allegedly given P8 million for her May, 2016 senatorial campaign.
De Lima said the young Espinosa “will be just be another of the witnesses to be brought (by the Duterte administration) against me in their effort to destroy me.”
“Sooner or later, this government is going to make sure you end up like your father. I make the same prediction for Jaybee Sebastian,” said de Lima in a statement issued on Sunday.
But PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa assured that Kerwin will be safe from any harm.
“We are doing our best to secure Kerwin. He will die over our dead bodies,” he added.
Dela Rosa said their all-out effort to keep Kerwin alive –from Abu Dhabi to the Philippines – is proof of their commitment to keep him alive.
The post Lacson Committee to Hear Kerwin’s ‘Extensive’ Testimony Tomorrow appeared first on Manila Bulletin.
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