TACLOBAN CITY- Albuera Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa, Sr. has been charged for illegal possession of prohibited drugs before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday (August 11) by the Philippine National Police.
The complaint filed against the embattled mayor was in connection to the discovery and confiscation of methamphetamine hydrochloride inside his house in sitio Tinago II, Binulho of the said town last August 10 during a raid.
Provincial Prosecutor Arlene Cordovez said that her office has received the complaint on Thursday with the Leyte provincial and municipal police of Albuera as the main complainants against Espinosa.
The Leyte police office is headed by S/Supt.Franco Simborio while the municipal police is under Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido.
The complaint filed against the Albuera mayor was for violation of section 11 of Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Act of 2002.
The section refers on possession of illegal drugs.
During the August 10 raid, the police authorities recovered 11 packs of shabu estimated to be worth P88 million, the biggest haul of shabu in the region.
“What I can confirm is that there was a complaint filed before our office late Thursday afternoon against the mayor for possession of illegal drugs,” Cordovez said.
She said that after her office received the complaint, she formed a three-member panel who will study the complaint.
Cordovez, for security reason, declined to identify the composition of the three-member panel.
The Leyte prosecutor added that considering that the case involving Espinosa is a high profile, it will be given a “priority.”
“But it does not mean that we will all focus on this case as we have also other equally important cases to resolve,” she said.
Mayor Espinosa will also be issued a subpoena for him to answer the allegation against him.
Asked where the subpoena will be address, Cordovez said that it would be at the “last known address” of Espinosa which is the municipal hall or in Brgy. Binulho.
The case is expected to be resolve by the three-member panel within 60 days as required under our law.
Espinosa, together with his son Kerwin is considered to be Eastern Visayas’ top drug lords. The elder Espinosa, however, denied the allegation.
President Rodrigo Duterte named Espinosa, who gone on leave officially on August 2, as among the mayors in the country who are in the illegal drugs activity.(JOEY A. GABIETA)