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Jing-jing confirms Munti connection with Odicta ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO City – Jesus “Jing-jing” Espinosa Jr., barangay councilman of Monica-Blumentritt, City Proper, denied working for suspected drug lord Melvin “Boyet” Odicta Sr. But he confirmed being close to his wedding godfather.
“Close ko kay maninoy ko gid man. Waay ko ina gina-deny,” said Espinosa who was ranked No. 2 in the Iloilo City Police Office – Police Station 1’s list of suspected drug personalities in the City Proper.
Odicta was shot to death by still unidentified assassins in August this year.
At the Chief Justice Ramon Q. Avanceña Hall of Justice where he surrendered for a frustrated murder case on Tuesday, Espinosa said he met Odicta at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City in the mid-1990s.
Odicta was then serving a prison sentence for a 1989 marijuana trafficking case while Espinosa was serving his for a February 1993 murder case.
“Palangga ko si maninoy kay antes ko na s’ya na-maninoy, nag-upod kami sa New Bilibid Prison. Didto kami nagkilalahay, didto nag-upod kami. Isa kami ka kwarto asta nga naglaya s’ya,” said Espinosa.
Odicta was released from prison in 1995. Espinosa, on the other hand, secured a pardon from then President Joseph Estrada in 1999 and resumed his friendship with Odicta upon his return to Iloilo City.
Odicta put up a transport business (taxis and vans) and a restaurant although the police believed these masked the real source of his wealth – drug trafficking. Espinosa, meanwhile, became a councilman in his barangay.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency tagged Odicta as the drug lord “Dragon” and leader of the Odicta drug group operating in Iloilo City, Iloilo province and nearby provinces. Odicta, however, denied this.
Espinosa said his friendship with Odicta was misinterpreted. He denied, too, that he was into illegal drugs either as user or pusher.
“Pa-guwa ko s’ya gina-dalaganan ko. Na-misinterpret nila kay kun ano nga bagay, ara ako,” he said.
In Aug. 29, 2016, Odicta and wife Meriam were shot to death by gunmen at the jetty port in Caticlan, Malay, Aklan a few days after personally denying before Interior and Local Government Ismael Sueno in Camp Crame, Quezon City that they were trafficking illegal drugs.
‘SORRY, MAYOR’
Espinosa also denied that Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog was his protector. He apologized to the city’s chief executive.
According to Espinosa, Mabilog was unfairly linked to illegal drugs because of their friendship.
“Nagapangayo ako sorry kay mayor. Nadalahig s’ya sa mga isyu batok sa akon. Wala ako gina protektahan ni mayor,” clarified Espinosa.
In August, President Rodrigo Duterte tagged Mabilog as an illegal drugs protector. This came months after two Senate inquiries on drug trafficking in Iloilo City. One of the resource persons, Councilor Plaridel Nava, told Sen. Grace Poe it was not surprising that illegal drugs remained a problem in the city.
Nava showed to Poe photos of Espinosa and Mabilog together on several occasions.
“He was convicted and was remitted to Muntinlupa (for) murder and illegal drugs,” Nava said.
A red-faced Mabilog who was at the inquiry was given the chance to explain the photos. As a public official attending public events, he said, having his pictures taken with other barangay officials was not unusual.
Espinosa agreed. He said the photos were taken during barangay programs, fiestas and birthday celebrations.
The barangay councilman denied he was into drug trafficking. Yes, he said, he had been convicted for murder but he never had illegal drug cases, thus Nava’s illegal drugs claim against him was baseless.
“Naluoy ako kay mayor kay nadalahig s’ya,” said Espinosa, whose house was raided by policemen just this Oct. 2. Cops claimed to have recovered seven sachets of shabu./PN
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