ILOILO City – Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, Western Visayas police director, won’t waste a second on Barangay Captain Keith “Dabing” Espinosa of Monica Blumentritt, City Proper.
“I will never talk to her for as long as she is in our (drug watch) list as high-value target, level 3,” said Bulalacao.
Espinosa, who has denied having anything to do with illegal drugs, wanted to meet Bulalacao at the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) Wednesday last week but the director was in Boracay Island.
“I will talk to Barangay Captain Espinosa only if she is already cleared,” said Bulalacao.
According to the director, intelligence reports linking Espinosa to illegal drugs as suspected protector were consistent.
In a radio interview, Espinosa said she had received death threats.
“If she is not involved in illegal drugs, she has nothing to be afraid of,” said Bulalacao.
In 2016 Espinosa was investigated by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) for alleged links to drug traffickers. It found her liable for grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty.
According to Senior Inspector Kennith Bermejo, chief of the PRO-6’s Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU), illegal drugs was rampant in Barangay Monica Blumentritt because the traffickers enjoyed protection.
Two other barangay captains were probed by the city council – Remia Prevendido Gregori of Bakhaw, Mandurriao district and Noemi Jablo of Desamparados, Jaro district.
Gregori, sister of slain drug lord Richard Prevendido, was shot to death by unidentified armed men on June 24 at her beach resort in San Joaquin, Iloilo.
Jablo was arrested in a buy-bust operation of the RDEU in Pavia, Iloilo on July 10.
Espinosa and Gregori won their reelection bids in the recent May 14 barangay polls while Jablo lost.
May last year as illegal drug allegations against her persisted, Espinosa appeared at Police Station 1 and denied being involved in drug trafficking. This was seven months after the Oct. 2, 2016 raid of her house.
The police seized seven sachets of shabu, a .45-caliber pistol, two spare magazines, and a licensed .9mm Glock pistol but Espinosa claimed these were “planted.”/PN
