(Eagle News) — The Philippine National Police on Thursday, July 19, expressed elation over the Department of Justice’s reversal of its earlier decision that junked drug charges against Kerwin Espinosa and others.
“I am glad that DOJ found merit in the case filed by the (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) against Kerwin Espinosa and several other respondents for violation of (Republic Act) 9165,” PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said in a statement.
According to Albayalde, the CIDG “case build-up was consistent from the start.”
“There was damning evidence to indict Kerwin, et al for the crime,” he said.
In reversing the decision of a previous panel, the new DOJ panel composed of Senior Assistant State Prosecutors Juan Pedro Navera, Anna Noreen Devanadera and Prosecution Attorney Herbert Calvin Abugan said the “positive allegations of Marcelo Adorco identifying” Espinosa, Peter Co, Lovely Impal and Ruel Malindagan as his cohorts were “sufficient” to charge them with conspiracy to commit illegal drug trade.
The charges against Max Miro, Nestor Pepito and Rowen Reyes Secretaria, meanwhile, were dismissed as their “criminal liabilities were extinguished by their deaths,” the panel said.
The resolution also did not include Peter Go Lim, who earlier filed a motion for separate preliminary investigation which the panel previously granted.
