MANILA, Philippines – Barring last-minute changes, alleged Eastern Visayas drug lord Kerwin Espinosa is expected to be back in the country by Thursday, November 17.

Espinosa is the son of the late Albuera mayor Rolando Epinosa Sr., who was killed inside a Leyte sub-provincial jail after he supposed shot police who were trying to serve a search warrant against him. Kerwin was arrested in mid-October by Abu Dhabi police with the help of Philippine National Police (PNP) officials.

He has been detained in Abu Dhabi pending the completion of the deportation process.

During a press conference on Monday, November 14, PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa confirmed that several senior police officials were already on route to Abu Dhabi. Quoting Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG) chief Senior Superintendent Albert Ferro, Dela Rosa said the younger Espinosa is expected by Thursday.

“If you want, you can greet him at the airport. You can do there. And I assure you, he won’t die,” said the police chief.

The late Albuera mayor was the first local chief executive to “surrender” to police after getting a warning from no less than President Rodrigo Duterte.

In August, Duterte called on the two Espinosas to surrender following a police operation that seized millions in illegal drugs from a tennis court near their house. Duterte said that if the two resisted their warrantless arrest, a “shoot on sight” order had been issued to police.

Following his “surrender,” Mayor Espinosa began cooperating with the police and was even placed under the protective custody of the Albuera town police chief before he was arrested and moved to the sub-provincial jail in Leyte.

On November 5, he was gunned down during a police operation that is now marred with doubts over its legitimacy. (READ: Senate probe: Poorly-written script in Espinosa killing?)

Before he was arrested, the older Espinosa executed at least two affidavits wherein he listed down at least 50 people who supposedly received “protection money” from Kerwin. Most of the information in the affidavit, however, were based on things Kerwin had told his father.

Albuera police have already filed cases against several personalities named in those affidavits.

“We will do the normal procedure but we will no longer bring him to the issuing court in Leyte. [Kerwin] will stay in Camp Crame and we’ll ask the permission of the court that he stay here. We’ll return the warrant and we’ll ask the Justice Department about keeping Kerwin safe,” said Dela Rosa.

Dela Rosa, for the second time since August, promised he would keep an Espinosa safe. – Rappler.com