ILOILO City – Where is resigned Barangay Captain Keith “Dabing” Espinosa of Monica Blumentritt, City Proper? The Police Regional Office 6’s (PRO-6) Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU) confirmed it is looking for the former village chief who took a leave of absence in July prior to resigning on Nov. 25.
According to RDEU chief Senior Inspector Kennith Bermejo, they continue receiving information linking Espinosa to illegal drugs through her husband despite her repeated denials.
Espinosa’s whereabouts remained unknown as of this writing. Her husband Jesus was, in 2016, ranked No. 2 in the Iloilo City Police Office – Police Station 1’s list of suspected drug personalities in the City Proper. He 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.
According to Bermejo, however, the male Espinosa was still into illegal drugs.
“He has runners picking up the illegal drugs then the proceeds are being remitted to his wife,” said the RDEU chief.
Bermejo said the RDEU had “some strategies” to track the former village chief but declined to discuss them.
In 2016 Espinosa was investigated by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) for the proliferation of illegal drugs in her barangay. It found her liable for grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty. Still, she was reelected in this year’s May barangay election.
In her resignation letter submitted to the city mayor’s office, Espinosa gave no hit where she was. But she stated: “I can assure you that even in my absence, my barangay is in good hands with my very active barangay officials and Sangguniang Kabataan officials. I will still continue to support all the endeavors of my barangay and Iloilo City as a private citizen.”
Prior to taking a leave of absence in July, Espinosa said she feared 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 Espinosa, Jablo and Gregori were investigated, too, by the SP in 2016 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 June 24 this year, armed men shot to death Gregori in San Joaquin, Iloilo. Jablo, on the other hand, was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Pavia, Iloilo on July 10.
On July 11, Espinosa went to Camp Delgado, the PRO-6 headquarters, to supposedly clear her name. But she failed to meet Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, regional police director.
In a radio interview, Espinosa said she feared for the safety of her children, too.
Bulalacao subsequently confirmed there was 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.
The police director also said he had no plan of meeting Espinosa.
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 PRO-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.”/PN
