ILOILO City – Barangay Captain Keith “Dabing” Espinosa of Monica Blumentritt, City Proper and husband former councilman Jesus “Jing-jing” Espinosa were not in the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s (PDEA) list of barangay officials with alleged links to illegal drugs.
For the couple, this was the vindication they have long been seeking.
“I know the truth will prevail. So this is it,” said the male Espinosa who, in 2016, was ranked No. 2 in the Iloilo City Police Office – Police Station 1’s list of suspected drug personalities in the City Proper.
In the drug list made public on Monday by PDEA director general Aaron Aquino, only one barangay official in Western Visayas was named – Barangay Captain Gemma Calzado of Kasingkasing, Molo, this city.
Aquino denied the PDEA list is also a “hit list” of drug suspects.
“I and my wife are not involved in illegal drugs,” insisted Espinosa who is currently detained at the Iloilo District Jail in Barangay Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo serving an eight-year prison sentence as accomplice in a frustrated murder case 12 years ago.
According to PDEA Region 6 director Wardley Getalla, the list was validated by the Philippine National Police, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“Wala kami nagabaligya sang droga. Nagapangabuhi kami sang matarong, galing sad to know nga ginadawit gid nila ako sa illegal drugs,” said Espinosa.
He denied being the right-hand man or subgroup leader of slain drug lord Melvin “Boyet” Odicta Sr. In a 2016 interview, however, he admitted being close to his maninoy (godfather).
“Close ‘ko kay maninoy Boyet. Palangga ko si maninoy, palangga ‘ya man ‘ko,” said Espinosa in that interview.
Espinosa’s wife was one of three barangay captains in this city that the Sangguniang Panlungsod investigated last year for alleged links to illegal drugs. The two others were Remia Prevendido Gregori of Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao district and Noemi Jablo of Barangay Desamparados, Jaro district. All three denied having anything to do with illegal drugs.
“I’m so happy that we were not mentioned in the narco list of PDEA,” said Espinosa. Accusations against him and his wife were all based on hearsay, he stressed.
He viewed their non-inclusion in the list as an exoneration of their tarnished name.
“Naguba amon ngalan kag naapektohan amon kabataan sang mga akusasyon sa akon. Grabe pag-antos ko diri sa sulod sang presohan kay indi ko gusto nga palagyohan akon kaso. I voluntarily surrendered,” said Espinosa.
May last year as illegal drug allegations against her persisted, the wife of Espinosa appeared at Police Station 1 and denied being involved in drug trafficking.
This was seven months after the Oct. 2, 2016 raid of the Espinosa couple’s house by the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Group of the Police Regional Office 6.
The police seized seven sachets of shabu, a .45-caliber pistol, two spare magazines, and a licensed .9mm Glock pistol from the house but only the barangay captain was there. Her husband was nowhere to be found and she claimed the sachets of shabu recovered were “planted.”
Three days after the raid, on Oct. 5, 2016 Espinosa surfaced and explained his disappearance. “Gapanago ako indi sa pulis kundi sa mga ginatawag nga vigilante, mga panatiko. Once malapnag ka na sa pulis kag sa PDEA nga drug personality ka, ang ilang tuyo i-eliminate ka gid,” said Espinosa.
He said he had been receiving threats through text messages and calls from unknown texters and callers.
Espinosa then turned himself to the court to serve his frustrated murder conviction sentence the implementation of which was delayed for years because the case’s papers were misplaced.
Espinosa believed he would be safer in prison and this was a factor in his decision to surrender.
He also said he was concerned with his family’s safety.
“Gusto ko man magtawhay ang pinsar sang pamilya ko…(In prison) at least ila pinsaron didto lang ako sa sulod, indi sang kun diin-diin nga mabalaka pa sila,” Espinosa said.
Espinosa has six children./PN
