BY RUBY SILUBRICO and GLENDA TAYONA
ILOILO City – Barangay Captain Keith “Dabing” Espinosa of Monica Blumentritt, City Proper fears for her life following the arrest of former barangay captain Noemi Jablo of Desamparados, Jaro and the killing of Barangay Captain Remia Prevendido Gregori of Bakhaw, Mandurriao.
Like Jablo and Gregori, Espinosa was investigated by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) for alleged links to drug traffickers. But while the SP cleared Jablo, it found Espinosa and Gregori guilty of grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty.
On Wednesday around 2 p.m. Espinosa went to the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) to supposedly clear her name. This was a day after Jablo was arrested in a buy-bust operation of the police in Pavia, Iloilo. But Espinosa failed to meet Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, regional police director. He was out.
Espinosa quickly left, according to Superintendent Joem Malong, PRO-6 spokesperson.
In a radio interview, Espinosa said she feared for the safety of her children, too.
“As of now, I could not accommodate Espinosa because of my busy schedule. (But) she can meet the city police director,” said Bulalacao yesterday.
The director confirmed there is a case build-up against Espinosa, citing intelligence information linking the barangay captain to illegal drugs.
“(But) if she has no involvement in any illegal activities, especially illegal drugs, she has no reason to worry,” said Bulalacao.
It was Councilor Plaridel Nava who called for the SP investigation on Espinosa, Jablo and Gregori. The city council, he said must determine if they “have been remiss in their duties and responsibilities in the fight against illegal drugs.”
Gregori was shot to death by unidentified armed men in June 24 at her beach resort in San Joaquin, Iloilo.
Yesterday, Nava urged Espinosa to “tell everything.”
“If she wants to be spared and vindicated, she should come out in the open and tell everything she knows about the drug syndicate operating in our city,” said Nava.
Espinosa, he added, “must show good faith by cooperating and by telling us the truth.”
Espinosa sought reelection in the recent May 14 barangay election and won despite the illegal drug issue hounding her.
“This victory is my answer to the issues hurled against me,” said Espinosa, whose husband Jesus (popularly known by his nickname Jing-jing) was close to slain drug lord Melvin Odicta Sr.
Espinosa was not in the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) list of barangay officials involved in illegal drugs that was made public two weeks ago before the barangay election.
“The PDEA and police cleared me. Now the people of my barangay have spoken,” said Espinosa. “They continue to support me even if my husband is not around.”
Jing-jing, himself a drug suspect of the Iloilo City Police Office’s Police Station 1, is currently detained at the Iloilo District Jail in Barangay Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo serving an eight-year prison sentence as accomplice in a frustrated murder case 12 years ago.
In a recent interview, Jing-jing claimed their non-inclusion in PDEA’s drug list was the vindication they have long been seeking.
May last year as illegal drug allegations against her persisted, Espinosa appeared at Police Station 1 and denied being involved in drug trafficking. This was seven months after the Oct. 2, 2016 raid of her house by the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Group of the Police Regional Office 6.
The police seized seven sachets of shabu, a .45-caliber pistol, two spare magazines, and a licensed .9mm Glock pistol but Espinosa claimed these were “planted.”
Jing-jing, in a 2016 interview, admitted being close to his maninoy (godfather) Odicta.
“Close ‘ko kay maninoy Boyet. Palangga ko si maninoy, palangga ‘ya man ‘ko,” said Jing-jing.
Unidentified armed men shot Odicta and wife Meriam to death in August 2016 at the Caticlan Jetty Port in Malay, Aklan./PN