Mayor Espinosa laid to rest in Leyte

Slain Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. was finally laid to rest on Sunday nearly a month after his killing inside the Leyte Sub-Provincial Jail.

Before the mayor's casket was carried out of their home in Tinago 2, Barangay Binolho at past 10 a.m., a cellphone was placed on one of the ears of Espinosa.

Relatives said the caller was suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa. They said the younger Espinosa said goodbye to his father and asked for his forgiveness.

The supporters and relatives of the mayor made an almost one-hour funeral parade to the St. James Parish Church for the Mass.

Before the Mass, hundreds of the mayor's supporters were allowed to view him for the last time.

The remains of the mayor were interred at around 4 p.m.

The older Espinosa was shot and killed by members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Region 8 during the service of a search warrant inside the Leyte Sub-Provincial Jail in Baybay City last November 5.

The slain mayor was detained on drug charges.

The Senate public order committee is scheduled to resume its inquiry into the death of the mayor.

Members of the CIDG Region 8, including its head Superintendent Marvin Marcos, have been relieved over the incident. —report from Ronnie Roa/ALG, GMA News