Kerwin Espinosa admits transacting with, giving money to police officers

Suspected Eastern Visayas drug lord Kerwin Espinosa admitted Wednesday that he had illegal drug transactions with police officers aside from giving them a weekly “payola” as he narrated how he handled his operations.

“Oo, nagbibigay ako ng SOP na weekly pero iba pa 'yung sa negosyo sa pulis na palitan kami ng shabu kung nauubusan kami,” Espinosa said during the resumption of the Senate hearing on the killing of his father, Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa.

He named Chief Insp. Wilfredo Abordo and Dennis Torrefe, a member of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Region 8, as among those he transacted with.

“'Pag naubos na 'yung supply nila, binibigyan ko, sa panahon kung meron ako binibigyan ko sila. 'Pag ako naubusan, sa kanila ako kumukuha,” he said.

He said the two, however, did not pay him in full. 

“Nagbabayad sila pero hindi buo, pero 'pag ako, kailangan bayaran ko ng buo. Kung sila ang kumukuha sa akin hindi kumpleto ang bayad,” he said. 

He said he initially gave Abordo a P12,000 weekly payola but it was raised to P80,000 weekly after the police officer was assigned to the Regional Special Operations Group in 2014.

“Lumaki na kasi ang area niya, lumaki na ang jurisdiction,” he said. 

He said Abordo's vehicle was pawned to him after the latter failed to pay his loan amounting to P380,000.

“Nasa akin pa 'yung sasakyan niya dark green na Toyota Fortuner,  ABA 6123, nakapangalan sa girlfriend niya. P380,000 ang utang niya sa akin at sabi ibigay muna ang sasakyan dahil natalo daw siya sa sabong kasi mahilig siya sa manok, may malaking manukan sa Naval Biliran,” he said.

He said the vehicle is now in the possession of Albuera police director Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido who raided the house of the Espinosas in August.

Started in 2004 

Reading his affidavit, Espinosa said he started his illegal drug trade in 2004 by initially getting 0.8 grams of shabu which he planned to sell to drug users. He said he started with only 15 packs of shabu. 

“Doon na nagsimula ang negosyo ko, ang naging profit pinaikot ko. Naging 4.9 grams ang nakuha ko sa halagang 7,000 tapos ginagawa ko itong 0.7 at umaabot ng 11 to 12 sachets binebenta ko bawat isa ng P700 hanggang lumago ang negosyo ko,” he said.

He said he was arrested in 2005 in Hipodromo, Cebu City. He said the police did not get any shabu from him as he was able to throw the illegal drugs in his possession then, but he claimed the police planted evidence against him.

He said it was when he was detained at the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center that he met other drug lords, including Jeffrey Diaz or Jaguar. It was there that he learned how to operate his illegal business from inside the jail.

“Nagtataka ako paano sila nakakuha ng pera e nakakulong sila pero basta  may cellphone, may tao ka sa labas pwede.  Lumapit ako sa kanila kung paano makakuha ng detalye sa operasyon. Naririnig ko sa mga tao na may kausap sila sa cellphone, may contact sila na nagtatanong kung magkano ang presyo ng shabu,” he said.

Espinosa said he then got his supply from a certain Lovely Adam Impal who was also the supplier of Jaguar and other drug lords at  BBRC. He said Impal is a resident of Cagayan de Oro and has a house in Iligan and Bukidnon. He said Impal also has a house in Makati.

“Si Jeffrey Diaz ang nagrekomenda sa akin kay Lovely Adam Impal. Malaki na si Jaguar kaya doon na ako umaangkat sa kanilang dalawa,” he said.

He said he is an underling of Jaguar. “Opo downline ako ni Jaguar until 2011.” 

Espinosa said he was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2008 and by that time, he was already adept in operating his illegal drug operations from inside the jail.

“Ako ay natuto na at nakabisado ko na ang kalakaran kung paano magneosyo ng shabu kahit sa loob ng kulungan. Natuto na ako paano magtransakyon hanggang lumaki na ang operasyon ko. Umabot sa 560 grams ng shabu ang pinakamalaking angkat ko,” he said.

Espinosa said he purchased a bigger bulk of shabu when the Cebu City jail was  transferred to another location.

“Aabot isang kilo kada angkat ko nung  nalipat sa bagong city jail ng  Cebu City. Sina Impal at Jaguar ang supplier ko,” he said, adding that their operation was on consignment basis.

“Kumukuha kami kay Lovely Adam Impal at Jaguar on consignment basis.  Kapag nakakuha na  ididistribute sa mga tao sa consignment basis din.  Kapag nadistribute na kokolektahin at hahatiin yung nakolekta para i-remit sa dalawang supplier ng droga. ‘Yung kay Jaguar hinahatid sa bahay at tinatanggap ng kapatid niya, yung kay Impal dinedeposit,” he said.

He said they have no money inside the jail and it was moved by their aides outside.

“Walang hawak na pera sa loob. P1.5M ang naipon ko habang nasa loob ng kulungan. Nasa labas yung pera na yun at hinahawakn ng tao ko na si Melvin Gervacio,” he said. 

Transferred to Bilibid in 2008

Espinosa said he and Jaguar were transferred to National Bilibid Prisons in 2008 and there he met other drug lords.

He said many of the high profile inmates visited at the medium security compound of Bilibid because they know that he was an illegal drug trader in Cebu.

“Binisita ako sa medium security compound ni Hubert Webb at alyas Marcos sa pangkat ng Sputnik. Gusto nila ako i-recruit at makasama dahil nabanggit sa Muntinlupa na negosyante ako ng shabu sa Cebu, hindi ako agad pumayag kasi pinag-isipan ko pa,” he said.

“May mga nakausap ako sa telepono, sina Peter Co, Boss Hans, Eugene Cua, Tony Co at dating pulis na si Durano. Ang purpose ng mga tao na nasabi ko ay para recruitin din ako sa grupo nila na magnenegosyo sa shabu. Nagsimula ang transaksyon namin sa mga Chinese at pinag-agawan nila ako, ang unang nagsupply sa akin si Peter Co,” he added.

He said at this time, he was already consigning four to 10 kilos of shabu.

He said the proceeds of the illegal drug trade were deposited and remitted to a bank account under the name of a Hog and Poultry Supply.

He said his men and that of Peter Co were the ones coordinating for the pick up of shabu. 

“May pagkakataon na doon pinipick up ng mga tao ko ang shabu sa parking ng Metropolitan Hospital sa Binondo, Manila. By land travel sila papuntang Matnog papuntang Allen at sa Ormoc ang drop off ng mga shabu ko,” he said. 

He said his men usually travel using a van and the illegal drugs were hidden in the spare tire.

“Nilalagay nila yan sa reserba na gulong, doon sa loob ng goma itatago ang shabu, minsan ilagay sa tuwalya at baggage, minsan sa bus lang nakalagay. Pwedeng nasa labas o nasa loob, depende kung saan nakalagay ang spare tire. Itong mga style na ito o pamaraan sa pagtago ay nakuha ko lang kay Lovely,” he said.

Released from Bilibid in 2009

Espinosa said he was released from NBP in 2009.

“Nakalabas ako sa Bilibid noong 2009 at sa paglabas ko ng Bilibid, nag-lie low muna ako sandali para makapagbigay ako ng oras sa pamilya ko. Bumalik ako sa pagtitinda ng shabu tapos naramdaman ko rin doon na magulo na sa Cebu,” he said.

He said his men were ordered arrested by their rivals. “Yung pagkakagulo sa Cebu dahil sa negosyo ng shabu, may mga kompetensya. ‘Yung mga tao ko pinapahuli na ng kakompetensya ko sa Cebu, yung hindi nahuhuli, sinusulot nila,” he said. 

Later upon the questioning of Senator Grace Poe, Espinosa said he only served four years in jail.

“Life imprisonment ‘yung kaso ko sa drugs, noong nakulong ako doon siguro apat na taon ako nagserbisyo sa loob. Nag-appeal ako at na-reverse ang decision,” he said.

Lawyer John Ungab, Espinosa’s counsel, said the decision of the Cebu Regional Trial Court Branch 13 was reversed by the Court of Appeals for lack of reasonable grounds for failure to establish chain of custody. — RSJ/KG, GMA News