Manila, Philippines: A self-confessed drug dealer, whose father was killed in an alleged gunfight in prison, has testified before a Philippine Senate investigation that he provided police officials and an opposition senator millions of pesos in protection money.
Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr said on Wednesday that he gave 8 million pesos (Dh600,000; $160,000) last year to Senator Leila de Lima’s bodyguard.
De Lima was a former justice secretary who President Rodrigo Duterte earlier alleged had collected money from drug lords through her bodyguard, who was also her lover, to fund her senatorial campaign.
De Lima, who has initiated an investigation into Duterte’s deadly anti-drug campaign, denied receiving money from Espinosa, saying she does not know him.
Human rights groups and Western governments have criticised Duterte’s anti-drug campaign that has left more than 4,000 suspected addicts and pushers dead since July.
Espinosa, who was returned to the Philippines last Friday after his arrest in Abu Dhabi, said he dealt only with Dayan, who brought him to meet de Lima briefly in northern Baguio city last November where they had a picture taken together. De Lima has said she was campaigning at that time and many people wanted take a photo with her.
“No, we had no discussion,” Espinosa said, referring to de Lima. “Ronnie warned me that she would not speak to me around many people.”
De Lima told the hearing that Espinosa’s testimony was a fabrication and delivered “under gunpoint, under duress.”
“I didn’t receive drug money from drug lords at the National Bilibid Prison in suburban Taguig. But I did receive money from Kerwin [Espinosa], for the lady senator,” Dayan said.
She reportedly received P8 million (Dh660,000) from Espinosa, said Dayan, adding, “For sure, he [Espinosa] knows, because he would surely look to it [that drug kickbacks reach De Lima].”
On de Lima’s request that he should be spared the pain of being arrested for involvement in illegal drug trade, Dayan said, “She should be strong.”
Senator Manny Pacquiao quoted the young Espinosa as saying, about his father’s death, “Supt. Marvin Marcos, head of theCriminal Investigation and Detection Group in Eastern Visayas asked for P3 million (Dh250,000) from me — because Marcos’ wife ran for government office last May. But my father (Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr of Albuerra) gave Marcos P1.5 million (Dh125,000) only.”
Marcos led the raid that resulted in an alleged shoot-out with the older Espinosa in Baybay sub-provincial jail in Leyte on November 5.
Marcos was relieved from his post because of what happened.
“My father was killed so that I would not talk, but I will identify all those who have received money from me,” Pacquiao quoted Espinosa as saying.
“May God forgive you for all your sins and may God forgive you for all your lies about me, and I forgive you,” De Lima told the Senate inquiry.
She has said that Duterte was out to destroy her, first earning his ire years ago when as head of the Commission on Human Rights she investigated his suspected links to a death squad that assassinated drug suspects in southern Davao city, where Duterte was a long-time mayor.
Dayan, the bodyguard, was arrested last week after weeks in hiding. Duterte’s allies at the House of Representatives presented him to the media late Tuesday, where he said he did collect money from Espinosa on instructions of de Lima.
He said he and de Lima were lovers for seven years. De Lima admitted in a television interview last week that she was once in a romantic relationship with Dayan.
Espinosa’s father, town mayor Rolando Espinosa senior, was arrested last month. He had agreed to cooperate with officials but was killed Nov. 5 in an alleged gunfight with police inside his jail cell. Senators investigating the case suspect it was an intentional killing.
