Suspected drug lord arrives from UAE
Suspected drug lord Rolando "Kerwin" Espinosa Jr. arrived in the Philippines early Friday under tight security, promising to divulge the identities of the people who are involved in the illegal drug trade.
Espinosa asked forgiveness from President Rodrigo Duterte, whom he said was the reason he fled because of Duterte's no-nonsense approach on illegal drugs and crime.
From the Philippines, he took a flight to Kuala Lumpur. Then, he transferred to Phuket and Bangkok in Thailand, then to Hong Kong before settling in the UAE.
While in Abu Dhabi, he survived with $40,000 in cash and money wired to an ATM account.
A civilian informant tipped Philippine authorities about Espinosa's location in the UAE. He is a pending arrest warrant for drug offenses and illegal possession of firearms.
"I am asking forgiveness from our President on whatever I have done in the past," Espinosa said during a news briefing where he was presented to the media by
Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald Dela Rosa in Camp Crame.
With the death of his father, a town mayor in Leyte in an alleged shootout with policemen who were serving a search warrant in his jail cell, he vowed to spill the beans on the people whom he knew benefited from illegal drugs.
"You (Duterte) can expect that I will disclose everything on the people including their names," he said. He cited as another reason for leaving the country is to protect his wife and three children.
Espinosa, in an interview aired over ANC, insisted what happened to his father was a “ rubout.". He cited prisoners at the jail where his father was killed who are willing to testify.
Espinosa arrived shortly before 4 am on a Philippine Airlines flight from United Arab Emirates accompanied by police officers. From the airport, Dela Rosa led police officials in whisking Espinosa to Camp Crame.
Heavily armed policemen were in Espinosa's convoy. He was in handcuffs and wore a bullet-proof vest.
Upon arriving at Camp Crame, Espinosa was subjected to a medical examination and underwent booking procedures.
Dela Rosa emphasized on the need to keep Espinosa alive as he is a vital witness who can pin down high-profile drug personalities.
"He is like the missing piece of the puzzle. That's how important his role is," Dela Rosa said in the same news briefing.
Dela Rosa said investigators will get Espinosa's sworn statement after the presser which will be then matched with the affidavit of his father
"He is going to tell everything that he knows regarding the illegal drug trade where he is involved," said Dela Rosa. This includes drug suppliers and distributors.
Asked if among those he will implicate is Senator Leila de Lima, a critic of the President, Espinosa declined to comment.
He did not comment on the blue book allegedly from his father where names of people with alleged drug links are listed.
Espinosa admitted he had apprehensions returning to the country after what happened to his father but this changed when he saw how police who secured him.
"I am no longer fearful of the police. I saw how they ensure my safety from Abu Dhabi until here in Camp Crame."
Espinosa will be detained in the PNP Custodial Center. To ensure his safety, he is separated from the rest of the inmates.
Visitors including his relatives and lawyer will not be allowed to enter with the clearance from Dela Rosa or Anti-Illegal Drugs Group head Senior Superintendent Albert Ignatius Ferro. Emmanuel Tupas/DMS
