(Eagle News)–Kerwin Espinosa is facing new charges over the illegal drug trading in Eastern Visayas.
The charges filed against several others were recently filed by the National Bureau of Investigation-Task Force Against Illegal Drugs before the Department of Justice.
Espinosa was particularly charged for violation of Section 5 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act or for the illegal sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution and transportation of dangerous drugs.
The same charges were filed against 15 others, including Marcelo Adorco, who is under the DOJ’s witness protection program in the other charges filed against Espinosa.
The 14 others were:
1. MABA LIMBONA
2. BRIAN ANTHONY ZALDIVAR aka TONYPET
3. GALO LEGASPI aka KAPRE, resident of Marawi City:
4. CHIEF INSPECTOR WILFREDO C. ABORDO
5. PO3 DENNIS TORREFIEL
6. GALO STEPHEN EVERO BOBARES
7. FERDINAND GULHORAN RONDINA aka DENAN
8. JOSE ORTIZ ANTIPUESTO aka JOE
9. JOSE JERNIE ESTRERA aka AMANG
10. NICKUNE ROSALIA CANIN,
11. ALFRED CRES ARRADAZA BATISTIS
12. JOSELA AVILA DUMAGUIT aka JOJE
13.BAYSAY L. CUSTODIO
14. VIBERCA HIYAS DIANO
The NBI also filed charges against the following for their alleged protection of Espinosa:
1. PCSUPT ASHER DOLINA- former Eastern Visayas police director
2. P/SINSP EUFRACIO JAVINES
3. P/SINSP BERNIE D. MAGAMAY
4. SPO3 EDGARDO/EDUARDO BETUIN
5. PO3 ROBERTO ARAVOLO TRAN
6. PSSUPT ELIZAR P. EGLOSO
7. PO2 MARVIN PARAC
8.VICTOR L. ESPINA, JR.
9. MARTIN L. ESPINA
10. MARITES S. ANG
The NBI conducted an investigation into claims Espinosa was involved in illegal drug trading in May 2017, upon instructions by then-Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre.
The order was after Espinosa himself admitted in an extrajudicial confession in 2016 that he was an illegal drug distributor.
Based on the NBI’s probe, even if Espinosa was detained for two years from 2011 to 2013 in the Ormoc City jail because of illegal possession of firearms and frustrated murder, the illegal drug trade in Eastern Visayas continued from 2011 to 2016 because of what it said were his cohorts, a private armed group and protectors, who were mostly policemen.
The DoJ first conducted a probe of Espinosa’s alleged involvement in the Eastern Visayas illegal drug trade based on charges filed by the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
The first DOJ panel constituted for the probe junked those charges against Espinosa and alleged drug lord Peter Lim, but the probe was again opened following public outrage over the junking.
The second panel of prosecutors constituted for the probe subsequently found probable cause to charge Espinosa and Lim in court.
At present, that case is pending before the Makati Regional Trial Court. Moira Encina
