Kerwin Espinosa's alleged drug supplier nabbed in Iligan buy-bust

Lovely Impal, the alleged supplier of suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, was arrested together with two others in a buy-bust operation in Iligan City on Tuesday.

Arrested together with Impal, who uses the alias Lovely Rasuman, were Farina Paranato and Alvin Macalangan, police said. Thirteen sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated market value of P600,000 were seized from them.

Also seized from the suspects was the P5,000 marked money used in the buy-bust operation.

A report on "24 Oras" on Wednesday quoted Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency regional director Adrian Alvariño as saying that Impal was arrested based on information provided by two drug suspects arrested in December.

In a text message to GMA News Online, Iligan City Police chief S/Supt. Leony Roy Ga said Impal and the two others were arrested at about 12 noon in Barangay Pala-o.

The "24 Oras" report said Impal denied owning the illegal drugs, saying she has turned away from the illegal drugs trade after surrendering to Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa in December. 

During a Senate hearing last November, Espinosa, son of slain Albuera mayor Rolando Espinosa, claimed he and slain Cebu-based drug lord Jeffrey "Jaguar" Diaz acquired their drug supply from Impal. 

Impal surrendered to Dela Rosa where she was placed at the custody of the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group. The PNP chief said the drug supplier revealed valuable information to him regarding the illegal drug trade in the Visayas. 

However, Impal later left the custody of the PNP-AIDG to join her family. —Joseph Tristan Roxas and Mariz Revales/KBK/BAP, GMA News