(Eagle News) — The chief of police of Albuera, Leyte admitted upon questioning by Senator Leila De Lima that the former justice secretary herself was on the top of the list of personalities connected to illegal drugs, based on the latest affidavit of slain mayor Rolando Espinosa.
During the senate hearing investigating the mayor’s killing, Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido, also disclosed that Mayor Espinosa had told them that De Lima was given P8 million by his son Roland Kevin.
“Sa affidavit ni Kevin, yung anak, sya na ang nagsalaysay ngayon, P8 million ang binigay noong first na magkita sila (In the affidavit of Kevin, the son, he’s the one narrating that, he said that he gave P8 million to De Lima when they first met),” Espinosa said.
Espinido said that the Mayor told him and disclosed in his affidavit that he saw then justice Secretary De Lima meet his son Kerwin in Baguio City in March 2016, and that his whole family was there. He said the Mayor also saw and heard Kerwin and De Lima talk about illegal drugs.
There was even a photo taken with De Lima, he said.
The second meeting allegedly happened in Dampa near the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City where the P8 million was given to De Lima by Mayor Espinosa’s other son, Kevin.
An incredulous De Lima asked the Albuera police chief, “Kinunfirm ni Mayor Espinosa na kilala nya ako? (Mayor Espinosa confimed that he knew me?)”, to which Espinido simply replied “Yes, Ma’am.”
Espinido added that the Mayor confirmed to them and in his affidavit that De Lima was with Kerwin and that they met.
“Ang gagaling mag-research, ang gagaling din na magdagdag ng istorya!” De Lima exclaimed before she stopped questioning Espenido, saying that the police certainly knew that she frequented Baguio City and the restaurant Dampa.
Before this, the Albuera police chief testified that Mayor Espinosa had indeed executed an affidavit on August 24, that contained his assertions that the lady senator was on top of the list of personalities supposedly connected to the illegal drug activities of his son, Kerwin.
He said that the prosecutors and other lawyers even made sure that the contents of the mayor’s judicial affidavit were indeed correct and that this was not forced on Espinosa.
Espenido and PNP Regional Director Chief Superintendent Elmer Cruz Beltejar said that the prosecutor and the Public Attorney’s Office lawyer met Mayor Espinosa separately inside a room. They said that all the other police officers were asked to leave so the prosecutor and the PAO lawyer could ascertain for themselves that the Mayor was voluntarily giving information, and was not being pressured or supplied any information by the police.
Espenido added that there were charges being prepared before the Ombudsman against De Lima with Mayor Espinosa as the key witness before he was killed.
