Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. of Albuera, Leyte, should count himself very lucky.
While other drug suspects have been found dead with cardboard signs around their necks, not only is he alive and kicking, he even got his government post back.
On Tue, Aug 16, the embattled mayor reported for work at the municipal hall in Albuera, Leyte.
Earlier this month he surrendered to Philippine National Police chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to disprove allegations that he was involved in the illegal drug trade.
His son, Kerwin, had been called “the biggest drug lord in Eastern Visayas” and is still at large.
One of the consequences of Rolando Sr.’s drug-related predicament is that he has been stripped of police bodyguards.
Upon his return to office, a Philippine Daily Inquirer report quoted the mayor as saying, “Because of the danger to my life, I have decided to stay in the municipal hall for my safety. It doesn’t help also that I no longer have police escorts.”
He added, “I now believe that the people of Albuera love me because they know me personally. I won because of their mandate.”
This is a rather unexpected development in the case of the Espinosas, considering the tense and eventually violent events that have happened involving the mayor and his son.
On Jul 28, Rolando Sr.’s bodyguards and employees were arrested during a buy-bust operation near his and Kerwin’s houses in Albuera. Some PHP1.9 million worth of shabu was recovered during the operation. Rolando Sr. would later accuse the raiders of planting evidence against him. The raiders have denied this allegation.
On Aug 1, President Rodrigo Duterte gave the mayor and his son 24 hours to surrender or they would be shot on sight.
On Aug 2, Rolando Sr. surrendered to the PNP chief. However, Kerwin remained at large.
On Aug 3, two police teams went to the Espinosa compound at about 4:30am following a tip that there seemed to be people inside the house of Kerwin. A shootout ensued when one of the two armed men guarding the gate allegedly opened fire at the policemen.
Six of the men who had been inside the Espinosa compound were killed in the encounter.
On Aug 4, two of the mayor’s employees, Jose Antepuesto and Marcelo Adorco, who had been arrested during the Jul 28 raid, claimed that the mayor himself was “involved in his son’s alleged illegal drugs activities.”
The mayor denied their allegations.
It’s worth noting that the Albuera police already filed a complaint against Rolando Sr. at the provincial prosecutor’s office in Tacloban City for violating Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
However, he has not yet been officially summoned to formally answer the said complaint.
Welcome back, mayor?
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