ORMOC CITY, Leyte, Jan. 7 (PNA) – Two trusted aides
of detained drug lord Kerwin Espinosa were arrested in two separate police
operations on Saturday morning in this city.
Supt. Federico Sanchez, deputy Leyte police
provincial director for operations said arrested for murder charges were Jesus
Tolin and Brian Anthony Saldivar.
Tolin was arrested at 7:10 a.m. at a national road
along Macabug village on board a single motorcycle while heading to the city.
He left his home in Mabini, an upland village
located some seven kilometers away, minutes earlier. The arresting team
confiscated one caliber 45 gun with a magazine loaded with nine live bullets.
The arrest of Saldivar was made minutes after
Tolin’s fall, around 8 a.m. The suspect was inside his house in Luna village,
about 12 kilometers away from the city center. The police did not seize any
prohibited item from him.
Sanchez said the daytime arrest for Tolin was a
good timing, citing intelligence reports that he is dangerous being armed.
The two were named in the warrant of arrest issued
by Regional Trial Court Branch 14 presiding judge Carlos Arguelles along with
the younger Espinosa, who is now detained at the National Bureau of
Investigation.
A relative of one of the suspects said, this murder
offense allegedly stemmed from the death of Gregorio A. Velarde, Sr. of
Albuera, Leyte, a year ago that was believed to have already been settled. No
bail is recommended for their case.
It was at the height of the government’s anti-drug
war last year, when Tolin and Saldivar individually surrendered to Chief Insp.
Jovie Espenido, then Albuera police chief. Tolin turned over a gun when he
yielded to authorities.
They separately submitted themselves after the
elder Espinosa appealed to them and three others to surrender.
Mayor Espinosa himself voluntarily surrendered to
Espenido. He was killed while detained at the Leyte sub-provincial Jail based
in Baybay City on Nov. 5, a month after he was jailed for illegal possession of
drugs, illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions, among others, offenses
filed along with son Kerwin.
Tolin and Saldivar were temporarily detained at the
local police station lock up and scheduled to be presented at the Baybay City
court on Monday, according to Sanchez.
The arresting team was composed of Leyte provincial
police office, provincial police safety company, provincial intelligence bureau
and Ormoc City public safety company.
Meanwhile, the local police here continues
intensive investigation over the killing of Ferdinand Rondina Friday evening,
who was tagged as level two target being connected to illegal drugs activities.
Chief Insp. Omar Cartalla, officer in charge of
Ormoc police station 1 said Rondina was shot dead by unidentified suspects
early Friday evening while watching television program outside his house in
Mabini St. here.
Eyewitnesses said the culprits wore bonnet and
hooded jacket.
Jenjen Pacañot, the victim’s sister said two men
who acted as lookout stood at a passage exit while another two appeared at
corridor from inside the village, approached and shot Rondina.
The victim was rushed to the hospital but was
declared dead on arrival.
The Scene of the Crime Operatives recovered 10
fired cartridges and three deformed slugs of suspected caliber .45 gun.
The younger Espinosa named Rondina as one of his
drug dealers, based in Ormoc City.
He had surrendered in the local police on July and
voluntarily submitted to Espenido in Albuera police station after being linked
to the Espinosa drug group.
Pacañot firmly said his brother already stopped in
the illegal drug trade after he surrendered to Espenido. In fact, he had turned
himself to therapeutic activities and often talks with a preacher.
RMA/SQM/ELVIE ROMAN ROA/EGR
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