(Eagle News)– Alleged drug lord Kerwin Espinosa’s bid for state protection will not move until the court handling his cases in Leyte will approve his transfer to be placed under the custody of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Tuesday (November 29).
“After ma-approve ng court, doon pa lang maaaring i-transfer si Kerwin dito sa DOJ (Department of Justice) and begin with the process of provisional coverage of the WPP (Witness Protection Program). ‘Yun ang tamang procedure,” Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said.
Espinosa is currently detained at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
He was brought by authorities at the police headquarters on November 18 to face cases of illegal possession of dangerous drugs and firearms.
Should the court approve the custody transfer, Espinosa will have to appear at the DOJ and be required to execute an affidavit which will be evaluated before being admitted to WPP.
Espinosa revealed in a Senate probe that he paid millions of protection money to police officials and Senator Leila De Lima, whom he claimed to have received P8 million through her former aide Ronnie Dayan, for her senatorial campaign.
