Securing Mayor Espinosa

Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. has sought refuge at the town's police station against what he claims as threats to his life from the syndicate with ties to his son Kerwin, an alleged drug lord in Eastern Visayas.

Espinosa said his life is in grave danger following his revelation that his son is into the drug business. So for his protection, he went to the police seeking for assistance, hoping authorities would consider him as a vital witness and place him under the government's protection program.

Whether Espinosa needs to be placed under the witness protection program of the Department of Justice remains to be seen. His qualification depends on the assessment by the authorities.

Espinosa was one those mayors tagged by President Rodrigo Duterte as being involved in illegal drugs. In fact, it was in his residence where the police seized at least P80 million worth of illegal drugs and assorted firearms during a raid earlier this month.

Yes, just like every one of us, Espinosa is entitled to every ounce of government protection. That is because it's the duty of the state to assure that every citizen of this country has the right to safety.

But the real issue here is not whether the mayor is entitled to the government's protection program because of the threats to his life, but on his alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade as claimed by the President.

Those recovered from the Espinosa residence are enough evidence for the police to start building up a string of cases against the mayor. But it seems the authorities are having a hard time bringing Espinosa to the court.

By wanting to be placed under the witness protection program, Espinosa seems to be taking advantage of the slow pace of the investigation into his alleged drug involvement. His life may have been in grave danger for his cooperation with the authorities. But he cannot escape from the fact that the serious allegation he is facing needs a thorough investigation.