Rody: Kerwin telling the truth
DAVAO CITY – Alleged drug lord Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr. is telling the truth and would spell the end of Sen. Leila de Lima, President Duterte declared.
“He is telling the truth, but there are some things that he is hiding,” Duterte said upon ar- rival here at the Davao International Airport on Wednesday night following his trip to Peru where he attended the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation ( APEC) leaders’ summit.
According to Duterte, Kerwin is withholding some information.
But the initial information provided by Kerwin in the Senate hearing on Wednesday could spell the end of De Lima’s career, he said.
“There is also nothing that De Lima can do now. This is dead end for her,” he said.
Duterte cited Kerwin’s testimony before the Senate on Wednesday, pinning down De Lima and 18 police officials as protectors of his illegal drug activities in the Eastern Visayas region.
Kerwin said he gave a total of P8 million to De Lima through her erstwhile driver and bodyguard Ronnie Dayan.
Kerwin claimed De Lima used the money to finance her campaign for the May 9 elections.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the committee that conducted the hearing, said he doubted Kerwin’s testimony, saying there are a lot of details that should be supported by evidence.
“There are a lot of loose ends that need to be tied up in the testimonies and countertestimonies. It is still very confusing right now. We need to tie up the loose ends if at all to make us convinced that the story of Kerwin is true,” Lacson said.
One particular detail that stood out, according to Lacson, was Kerwin’s claim that Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido, the municipal police chief of Albuera, was the one who introduced him to Dayan in 2015.
Espenido has denied the claim, saying he has no contact with either Espinosa or Dayan at all.
Even Dayan, in his testimony at the House of Representatives yesterday, stated that he does not know Espenido.
“As of now, if you will ask me my assessment, I have doubts about the veracity of the testimony of Kerwin,” Lacson said.
Duterte, however, said Kerwin’s testimony helped him pin down De Lima on allegations that she was involved in the illegal drug trade.
Duterte also noted Kerwin’s statements that he paid several police officials as protectors. He said he wonders why Kerwin did not mention everyone in the affidavit that he openly read during the Senate hearing.
Kerwin had only mentioned Supt. Marvin Marcos, Chief Insp. Leo Laraga of the regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG); Chief Insp. Wilfredo Abordo, Police Officer 3 Dennis Torrefiel and a certain police general Dolina of Region 8.
Kerwin was apparently referring to former regional director of Eastern Visayas Chief Supt. Asher Dolina, who denied receiving any money from him.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno directed the National Police Commission (Napolcom) to investigate the policemen named by Kerwin as protectors.
“This is a serious matter, and it is incumbent upon the DILG through the Napolcom, being the overseer of the PNP, to immediately look and check the veracity of the allegations against our ranking police officers,” Sueno said.
“We welcome the Senate probe on the issue because we also want to know the truth,” he said.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa has ordered the 18 policemen involved in the killing of Kerwin’s father and namesake, Albuera, Leyte mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., to be placed on floating status.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has also summoned the 18 to face a probe.
Some of the policemen involved in the shooting of the elder Espinosa were also mentioned by Kerwin as being on his payroll of protectors.
Kerwin had alleged the policemen murdered his father inside the jail.
The elder Espinosa was killed during a supposed shootout with policemen from the regional CIDG who were serving a search warrant in his detention cell at Baybay City, Leyte on Nov. 5.
Another inmate facing drug trafficking charges, Raul Yap, was also killed.