Albuera mayor leaves PNP ‘White House,’ heads home

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATED) With his son’s failure to heed the government’s surrender demand, Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr left the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame on Saturday morning, August 6.

The PNP said in a statement that Espinosa left the PNP’s “White House,” the official residence of PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa, at 7:30 am Saturday, “for a PAL flight going to Leyte.”

He was with his common-law-wife and daughter.

“The Mayor left the camp after no surrender of his son Kerwin transpired,” the PNP said.

On Friday, Dela Rosa gave Espinosa’s son, alleged drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, an ultimatum – surrender that day or his family would be evicted from Camp Crame where they were given temporary shelter and protection while the mayor was under custodial investigation. (READ: Why Espinosa is staying at PNP’s ‘White House’)

Another factor that prompted the eviction was the Espinosa family’s smoking habit, giving their host’s home an “unbearable” cigarette odor, the PNP chief complained on Friday.

Espinosa alleged in his affidavit that Chief Inspector Juvy Espinido had threatened to kill him, which the Albuera police chief denied. Espinido had urged the mayor to resign, saying he was “unfit” to serve as local chief executive because of his alleged involvement in illegal drugs in killings in his town.

Espinosa was the first local official to surrender to the PNP chief, following President Rodrigo Duterte’s surrender call on him and his son, who remains at large, for alleged involvement in drug trafficking.

Kerwin is said to be overseas.

Other mayors, all from Mindanao, surrendered to Dela Rosa on Friday, after they reportedly learned that they are on the list of local officials with alleged drug links to be released by Duterte himself. – Rappler.com