Alleged drug lord Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa is expected to surface any time, days after his father surrendered to the Philippine National Police.
Director General Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa said Thursday Kerwin has sent surrender feelers to the PNP. Signals were sent through his father, Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa, dela Rosa added.
Few days ago, PNP claimed that the family of the mayor manages a family business of drug trafficking. Espinosa also confirmed that his son heads a narcotics network in Eastern Visayas.
In fact, Kerwin is wanted and has reportedly left the country last June 21. According to reports, he flew to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after undergoing a plastic surgery.
On Monday, the father Espinosa surrendered to dela Rosa after President Rodrigo Duterte gave him and his son 24 hours to surrender or else they will suffer the shoot-on-sight order. He met the deadline set by the president, who accused him of coddling drug rings. On Sunday, police arrested five of the mayor’s bodyguards and employees in a drug sting operation in Albuera.
When dela Rosa presented him to the media, the mayor told eporters that he is not a narco-politician, and his campaign funds did not come from the income on illegal drug trade. He called for his son to surrender to authorities so that he will not die.
Albuera police chief Insp. Jovie Espenido said the Espinosas’ illegal enterprise is common knowledge at the police Intelligence Division of Eastern Visayas, where he had previously served.
PDEA- Central Visayas Regional Director Yogi Felimon Ruiz also said the younger Espinosa also known as “Boss K” manufactured narcotics in Cebu City before transferring his illicit business in Leyte.
On Wednesday, six alleged members of the “Espinosa group” were killed during a police operation at a residential compound of the mayor.
Police are still investigating the identities of the six men, but Espenido said the suspects were hitmen, according to their five cohorts who were arrested in an earlier buy-bust operation. He said the suspects were hired by Kerwin from Zamboanga, Cebu and other nearby provinces.