Police arrest Albuera, Leyte mayor Espinosa

BAYBAY CITY, Leyte, Oct. 5 (PNA) –- Beleaguered Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa, Jr. is now detained in a sub provincial jail following the issuance of warrant of arrest on Wednesday for violation of laws on illegal drugs and firearms.

Leyte police provincial director Sr. Supt. Franco Simborio led the arresting team around 10:50 a.m. The mayor was transferred from the Albuera police station where he had been under protective custody to a sub provincial jail in Baybay City.

Judge Carlos Arguelles of the Regional Trial Court Branch 14 in Baybay City issued the warrant of arrest on Tuesday or a day after the provincial prosecutor’s office recommended the filing of cases against the mayor and son Kerwin Espinosa, the alleged top drug lord in Eastern Visayas.

The Espinosas are facing charges for violations of Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

Arguelles said the court only issued the warrant of arrest on Wednesday since it took time for the provincial prosecutor’s office to complete preliminary investigation.

The prosecutor found on Tuesday that there’s “probable cause” for the filing of criminal complaints against the Espinosas.

"We should not be faulted, the court only acts on cases that are filed. The court has nothing to do with the delay if there's any because the case was only filed on Monday afternoon. Yesterday I conducted personal examination on the resolution of the prosecution including the evidences and I was satisfied that a probable cause exists against the accused,” he told reporters.

“If it took time for the provincial prosecution for their preliminary investigation, it's their call. They have their own rules to be followed,” Arguelles added.

The judge assured that there would be no special treatment for the mayor, asserting the “superiority of the court's power to detain him in an ordinary penal institution.”

“He will be treated as an ordinary detainee. These cases are just ordinary. The only thing is that this is sensationalized. The only fact is that the person involved is a public official,” he said.

The two cases are stemmed from a police raid on the mayor’s house that yielded 11 kilograms of shabu worth an estimated PHP88 million and high-powered firearms.

It can be recalled that Espinosa surrendered to Police Chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa on Aug. 2 few hours after President Rodrigo Duterte demanded for his surrender and Kerwin within 24 hours or face a “shoot on sight.” The son remained at-large.

After four days, Dela Rosa kicked out Espinosa from his official residence after the son failed to meet the deadline for him to surrender.

The mayor was admitted in a hospital in Cebu after he left Camp Crame on Aug. 6.

He returned to his hometown on Aug. 16 and stayed at the town hall day and night for about a week before he asked for police protection.

Driven by fear for his life, the mayor had temporarily held office at the town police station since Aug. 25. His son has been hiding in Malaysia, according to police reports. (PNA)
JMC/SQM/RAVEN LUNA WITH REPORTS FROM LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA/EGR