Defense insists: No link between Kerwin Espinosa, drugs seized from pa's house

The lawyer of alleged drug lord Kerwin Espinosa on Friday insisted there is no proof linking his client to the drugs seized from the house of his father Rolando, the slain former mayor of Albuera, Leyte, in 2016.

During trial at the Manila Regional Trial Court's Branch 26, the prosecution's witness, a Leyte police officer, confirmed under cross-examination that he did not find anything that would implicate Espinosa to the items.

The items included 11 kilograms of suspected shabu that were recovered from under Rolando's kitchen sink two years ago.

Police Chief Inspector Daryl Chua, the witness, was the officer who applied for a search warrant on Rolando's house and was present during the raid.

A policeman of the same name and rank as this witness had previously been tagged as one of Kerwin's police protectors.

Chua responded in the affirmative when defense lawyer Jesus Obejero Jr. asked him: "Am I correct to say, Mr Witness, that during the search of the kitchen of the house of Mayor Espinosa, you did not find anything that would implicate Kerwin Espinosa to the items that were found?"

He also said "yes, sir" when asked to confirm if there was no mention of Kerwin in the depositions of Rolando's former bodyguard, Jessie Ocares, and former employee Ernesto Dumalat,

Obejero's line of questioning, which he resorted to after he failed to block Chua from testifying, sustains the defense team's attempt to discredit any alleged link between Kerwin and the drugs found outside his direct possession.

At the last hearing in June, the defense questioned two policemen, also prosecution witnesses, over their basis for saying that the drugs recovered from Rolando's arrested aides during a 2016 buy-bust operation came from Kerwin.

Obejero's co-counsel, Raymond Fortun, was not present at Friday's proceeding.

Obejero also filed a motion asking the court for a commitment order for Kerwin to the National Bureau of Investigation Detention Center, where the latter is already detained.

He said there was a need for the issuance of a new commitment order as the existing one was released by a Leyte court, before the Supreme Court transferred the case venue from Baybay, Leyte to Manila.

The case is for illegal drug trading and illegal possession of firearms. Kerwin faces separate charges — this time for conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading — along with convicted drug lord Peter Co and other alleged drug personalities before a Makati court.

Their arraignment for the conspiracy case is set for August 29. —KBK, GMA News