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BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Saturday, October 21, 2017
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MANILA – Suspected drug lord Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr. pleaded “not guilty” to selling and distributing illegal drugs, during his arraignment at the Manila Regional Trial Court on Friday.
Espinosa was charged with violation of Section 5, Article II of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 last year.
He maintained his innocence, saying he was not in the country when his employees – Marcelo Adorco, Jose Antipuesto, Jessie Ocarez, Ernesto Dumalat, and Jeffrey Pesquera – were arrested for allegedly selling shabu.
“Wala talaga akong kasalanan kasi mga kagagawan ng mga pulis, lagi na lang nilang (police) ginagawa, na mag-plant ng scenario para lang sa accomplishment nila,” Espinosa said in an ambush interview.
“Paano mo makakasuhan ang isang tao na wala sa isang lugar? Andun ako sa ibang bansa, bakit nila ako finaylan ng kaso? When they (conducted) an operation, wala ako doon tapos dinamay nila ako sa kaso,” he added.
Espinosa, son of slain Albuera, Leyte mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., was accused of ordering his employees to sell shabu.
The latter were caught in a buy-bust operation on July 28 last year. They yielded 219.28 grams of the substance.
Espinosa’s case was originally being heard at the Baybay City RTC until it was ordered transferred to Manila RTC upon the request of the respondent’s camp for security reasons.
Last year, President Rodrigo Duterte tagged the Espinosas to the illegal drug trade.
The younger Espinosa later told a Senate investigation that Sen. Leila de Lima received drug money from him for her 2016 senatorial bid./PN
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