The alleged top drug lord of Eastern Visayas Kerwin Espinosa is expected to be sent to the country a month after his arrest in Abu Dhabi.
This was bared by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa who also assured the safety of Espinosa the moment his custody is turned over to the Philippine government.
“Barring all hitches, maybe they will be here on Thursday,” said Dela Rosa.
A team of PNP officers led by Senior Supt. Albert Ignatius Ferro has already left the country to fetch the young Espinosa, son of the late Albuera town Mayor Rolando Espinosa, Sr.
The issue on the safety of Kerwin recently cropped up after the elder Espinosa was shot dead when policemen were about to serve a search warrant at the Leyte Sub-Provincial Jail in Baybay City were the slain mayor was incarcerated.
During the recent senate hearing on Espinosa’s death, a good number of lawmakers expressed their beliefs that the death of Espinosa reeks of extra-judicial killing due to the manner the search warrant was served.
What baffled the senators, specifically senator Panfilo Lacson, was that the police squad called for the assistance of the Scene of the Crime Operations several minutes before the actual operation.
Dela Rosa however assured such incident will not happen to the young Espinosa.
“We will not bring him to the issuing court in Leyte, he will be detained in Camp Crame and we will be asking the court for it,” said Dela Rosa.
It took three months before the police were able to track down the whereabouts of Kerwin, with the help of some Filipino workers in Abu Dhabi who spotted him while doing a travel agency-hopping in a desperate bid to extend his stay in the United Arab Emirates.
Kerwin is facing a string of criminal charges which include cases relating to drugs and unlicensed guns.
(AARON RECUENCO)
