Kerwin Espinosa wins Albuera, Leyte mayoral race

Kerwin Espinosa was proclaimed winner in the mayoral race in Albuera, Leyte in the May 2025 midterm elections.

Based on the partial and unofficial results, as of 6:42 a.m. on Tuesday, Espinosa received 10,939 votes.

His rivals Vince Rama and reelectionist Sixto dela Victoria only earned 7,081 votes and 2,761, respectively.

Espinosa told GMA Integrated News in an interview that he will work on the peace and order as well as the illegal drugs problem in Albuera once he assumes the position.

“Ang uunahin ko, peace and order at bigyan ng solusyon ang droga dito sa Albuera. Linisin namin ang droga dito sa aming lungsod. I-zero tolerance namin ang droga,” he said.

(My priority is peace and order and providing a a solution to [illegal] drugs here in Albuera. We will eradicate drugs here in our town. We will have zero tolerance for drugs.)

“Gusto ko lang sugpuin at para mapatunayan na hindi talaga ako naging drug lord. Naging biktima lang ako sa mga…alam na natin,” he added.

(I just want to eradicate it [drugs] and prove that I was not really a drug lord. I was just a victim of…we already know.)

Espinosa in late 2016 admitted before a Senate inquiry that he was involved in the illegal drug trade.

In 2018, he said in a counter-affidavit before state prosecutors that any statement he made before the Senate did not prove he was a drug lord if there was no evidence drug evidence.

The Baybay, Leyte court in June 2024 dismissed a drug case filed against him.

Espinosa is still facing charges of money laundering before a Pasay court and two cases for illegal possession of dangerous drugs and illegal possession of firearms, which the Court of Appeals earlier ordered reopened.

On April 10 this year, Espinosa was wounded in a shooting incident which took place during a campaign sortie in Barangay Tabgas. —KG, GMA Integrated News

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