Espino still supports Duterte’s drug war

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Despite being linked by President Duterte to drug trafficking in the New Bilibid Prison ( NBP), former Pangasinan governor and now fifth district Rep. Amado Espino Jr. committed yesterday to support the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

Espino issued the statement after a “matrix” released by Duterte pointed to Pangasinan as the source of drugs that several high-value NBP convicts, allegedly with the protection of justice department officials in the previous administration, then ordered distributed around Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

Apart from Espino, the matrix named Sen. Leila de Lima who served as justice secretary, her former undersecretary Francisco Baraan who had supervision over the Bureau of Corrections, his brother Raffy Baraan who was Espino’s provincial administrator, former Bucor chief Franklin Bucayu, Pangasinan district board member Raul Sison and De Lima’s former driver Ronnie Palisoc Dayan for whom she allegedly bought a house and lot in Urbiztondo, Pangasinan.

Palace sources said yesterday the drugs were reportedly unloaded in the waters off Bolinao, Pangasinan and then sent to Manila on shipping vessels owned by a person who is expected to be included in the matrix. The drugs are not brought into the NBP, the sources said. Instead the NBP convicts, through modern telecommunications, used their networks to supervise the distribution of the drugs around Metro Manila and other areas.

Espino, meanwhile, clarified yesterday that only De Lima had described the matrix as “laughable.”

He stressed that all he said said was that he was “taken aback” upon seeing the drug matrix and asked for a chance to present his side.

It was Rafael Baraan who said in a text message to The STAR, when asked to comment on the matrix, that “This is nothing but a big, horrible joke!”

In another text message yesterday, Baraan said, “That matrix is like a bad dream that you want to forget as soon as you wake up.”

Cost-cutting move

In a related development, Baraan said he and his fellow respondents in a black sand mining case, including Espino, requested the two law firms handling their case to give up their services and let another group take over so that they can cut costs.

“They did not withdraw on their own. We were the ones who requested them to give up their services so we can save,” Baraan said.

“Now that the other has agreed to withdraw, there is only one law firm we are retaining,” he added.

Baraan said they formalized the agreement so the law firm gave its notice of withdrawal in court.