Cops kill Kerwin Espinosa’s drug source at Leyte prison

One of the alleged sources of illegal drugs of suspected Eastern Visayas drug lord Kerwin Espinosa was killed by police in an operation inside a Leyte prison on Thursday morning.

Initial police report showed that Edgar Allan Alvarez, a murder convict detained at Leyte Regional Penitentiary (LRP) located at Brgy. Cagbulo, Abuyog, lobbed a grenade at a raiding team conducting a search in the facility.

The grenade, however, did not explode.  Alvarez then drew a caliber .45 pistol and fired at the raiding team.

The raiding team returned fire resulting in the death of Alvarez.

Recovered during the initial search with a barangay kagawad and a jailguard on duty as witnesses were one cal.45 pistol; one cal. 38 revolver; one pack of dried marijuana leaves; and undetermined quantity of white crystalline substance suspected to be “shabu.”

Edgar Jubay, director of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Region 8, said Alvarez was initially detained at the National Bilibid Prisons but was transferred to the Leyte Regional Penitentiary, together with other drug lords, on April 18, 2011.

“Kasama yung mga drug lords kaya natutunan niya yung operation. Nung yung mga drug lords ibinalik sa Bilibid naiwan siya sa Abuyog, Leyte at sya na ang nagpatuloy nung negosyo nila doon,” Jubay said in a phone interview with reporters.

“Hanggang sa tumagal nakilala niya si Kerwin at naging source na siya ni Kerwin,” he added.

Asked why authorities conducted the search, Jubay said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group has information on Alvarez drug operations inside the jail.

Espinosa is in hiding was reported to have left for Malaysia on June 21, nine days before  President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office on June 30.

Espinosa and his father Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. were earlier asked by Duterte to surrender or risk being killed. The President has named the two as involved in illegal drugs.

Police have earlier killed a reported right-hand man of Kerwin in Cebu City. PDEA Region 7 Director Yogi Filemon Ruiz has identifying the man as Julito Prak, 47.

Prak was killed in a buy-bust operation in his home at Sitio San Roque, Barangay Hipodromo, Cebu City. —NB, GMA News