DOJ to probe politicians’s involvement in drug trade

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Justice (DOJ) will look into the involvement of elected officials tagged by Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa in the illegal drug trade.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Espinosa could also be placed under the witness protection program (WPP) of the government after the local official submitted to authorities an affidavit naming several officials – including a senator and several congressmen and police officials – who supposedly protected and benefitted from the narcotics operations of his son Kerwin.

“We will consider placing Mayor Espinosa under coverage of the WPP if he asks for it and once we receive his official application,” Aguirre told The STAR yesterday.

He explained that with Espinosa’s sworn statement, the mayor could serve as witness in the investigation and in the possible prosecution of the officials he tagged in the affidavit.

Espinosa was supposed to make public his affidavit, but cancelled his press conference yesterday afternoon reportedly for fear for his life. He has already sought protective custody of the police after reportedly receiving death threats.

He opted not to reveal the names of the officials in his affidavit, but sources revealed the list included “one senator who previously served as secretary of DOJ.”

President Duterte has tagged Sen. Leila de Lima as a beneficiary of the illegal drug trade by convicted drug lords at the New Bilibid Prisons when she was still DOJ chief.

When Duterte earlier tagged Espinosa and his son as drug lords of the Visayas, the mayor immediately surrendered to the Philippine National Police and was allowed to go home days later.   

In an interview with dzMM, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez refuted De Lima’s claim that an upcoming House probe on drug dealing inside the NBP is nothing but a kangaroo court.

“She should think first before she speaks,” Alvarez said in Filipino. “Our investigation will continue because she is not our target here. Congress has no prosecutorial power and is not a kangaroo court,” he added.

“It’s not De Lima we are investigating but the proliferation of drugs in the NBP when she was justice secretary. We’re not singling her out,” he stressed.

For his part, Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu urged De Lima not to be too judgmental.

“It is imperative for the House to determine the truth behind the proliferation of illegal drugs during the previous years at the NBP,” said Abu, a stalwart of the Nacionalista Party, which is allied with the ruling PDP-Laban party of President Duterte.

Another administration lawmaker, Gus Tambunting of Parañaque, hopes the so-called drug matrix of Duterte is based on “actionable intelligence” and that there is strong evidence against those named in the matrix.

“Hopefully, the proper cases are filed against the persons named in the matrix as soon as possible,” he said.

De Lima’s colleagues in the Senate ethics committee, meanwhile, appear to be not in a rush to act on a complaint to have her removed from the chamber. – With Delon Porcalla, Marvin Sy