Witness vs. Kerwin Espinosa recants testimony

A witness against self-confessed drug distributor Kerwin Espinosa on Friday recanted his testimony during a hearing in a Manila court, saying he was threatened by the police to speak against his childhood friend.

Jose Antipuesto, a former aide and friend of Espinosa, took the witness stand at the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 26 where he said he was forced by the Albuera, Leyte police, then led by Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido, to sign an affidavit to bolster the cases against Espinosa.

“Pinangakuan daw na hindi siya isama ng mga pulis sa kaso pero kinasuhan pa rin,” Manila RTC Branch 26 Judge Silvino Pampilo told GMA News Online.

Antipuesto, who is currently detained at the Leyte Sub-Provincial Jail in Baybay City, was arrested on July 28, 2016 following a buy-bust operation in Albuera in which at least P1.9 million worth of shabu was seized.

The next hearing is scheduled for February 23.

Pending before the Manila RTC Branch 26 are the illegal drug trading case that stemmed from the buy-bust and the cases of possession of dangerous drugs and illegal possession of firearms that were transferred by the Supreme Court from the Ormoc RTC.

Espinosa is also facing separate cases for illegal possession of explosives and firearms before Judge Marivic Balisi-Umali of the Manila RTC Branch 20.

Espinosa earlier shrugged off the cases, saying he was already outside of the country when the raid took place and that the pieces of evidence had been planted by the police. —KBK, GMA News