ORMOC CITY- A drug pusher who was said to be a close associate of Kerwin Espinosa, region’s top drug lord, surrendered to police authorities saying he feared for his safety.
Nick June Canin, considered as one of the top drug pushers of the nearby town of Kananga chose to surrender to Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido.
Espenido is the chief of police of Albuera where Espinosa run his illegal drug trade.
Espinosa has been in hiding with his father, Mayor Rolando Espinosa, Sr., sought protective custody with the local police.
Canin,35, surrendered to Espenido shabu weighing 8.7 grams valued at P69,600 and a caliber 45 pistol loaded with live ammunitions.
The suspect claimed to be a “trusted aide” of Espinosa who supplied him shabu that he sold in Kananga, 33 kms away from Ormoc City.
In an interview, Canin said that he opted to surrender to Espenido as he could be assured of his safety.
The Albuera police chief welcomed the surrender of Canin adding that he is open for other drug personalities associated to Espinosa to give themselves up to him.
“Whoever is willing to surrender even coming from other areas, I will accept them. We are open to help. There is no problem. We only need give and take,” Espenido said.
“I am happy to know of their response on our call for them to surrender and hopefully to stop (in the illegal drug trade). My principle is that peace starts on trust, surrender and renewal. Everyone wants to start anew,” he added.
But Chief Inspector Ricky Reli, chief of police of Kananga, said that Canin was a subject of a buy-bust operation on September 22.
Canin, however, engaged his policemen to a fire fight and managed to escape only to resurface to surrender to Espenido.
Reli said that they advised Canin to turn over to them two kilos of shabu which they believed he was in possession as well as a grenade, a caliber 45 gun and a shot gun.
The Kananga police are preparing charges against Canin for violations of Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 for drug selling and possession as well as illegal possession of firearm, both non-bailable offenses. (ELVIE ROMAN ROA)
