Kerwin denies slay try was staged

National

SELF-CONFESSED drug lord and Albuera mayoral candidate Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa has denied allegations that he staged the April 10 shooting during his campaign sortie in Barangay Tinag-an.

In a 30-minute Facebook Live on late Thursday, April 10, Espinosa lashed out at critics who claimed the attack was scripted.

He emphasized that he was shot near the heart and asked who in their right mind would stage such a life-threatening incident.

“The bullet hit close to my heart. You think we staged that just because we survived?” he said.

Espinosa, 47, was seated on a plastic chair near the stage of a gymnasium when an unidentified gunman hiding in the ceiling opened fire from behind. The bullet struck him near the chest.

Also injured in the attack were Espinosa’s sister, vice mayoral candidate Mariel “RR” Espinosa Marinay, who sustained splinter wounds, and Aira Matinelle Colasito, a minor hit by a stray bullet.

The child is the daughter of Roberto Cayanong Colasito, a councilor candidate under Espinosa’s Bando Espinosa–Pundok Kausaban (BE-PK) slate.

All three victims were brought to a private hospital in Ormoc City, around 28 kilometers away. As of this writing, authorities have yet to release updates on their condition.

Councilor candidate Carl Kevin Batistis, also running under BE-PK, initially confirmed the shooting on Facebook.

The Albuera police, led by officer-in-charge PSSg. Benjie C. Bug-atan, filed an official report and launched a hot pursuit operation with SWAT support. Checkpoints were also established across the municipality.

Espinosa claimed he had already begun cleaning up the illegal drug trade in Albuera even before assuming office.

He believed this move angered certain individuals, possibly drug protectors or businessmen affected by his efforts. He added that the attempt on his life would not deter him, saying he still had a mission to fulfill for the town.

He considered his survival a sign that God had given him more time to carry out their plans.

He also declared that their political campaign would continue, assuring supporters that their mayoral bid remained firm. He ended the livestream by urging voters to cast a straight vote for the BE-PK slate.

Marinay, in a separate Facebook post, recounted that she thought it would be the end for them when the shooting happened. She described the attack as indiscriminate and ruthless, and believed it was meant to silence their family.

Despite the violence, she stressed that they remained committed to serving the people and asked the public to pray for her brother.

The April 10 incident marked the first confirmed case of election-related violence in Eastern Visayas since the campaign period began on March 28.

Investigators have yet to identify the gunman or determine the motive.

Espinosa is challenging incumbent Mayor Sixto de la Victoria and Leyte Board Member Vincent Rama for the mayoral post once held by his father, the late Rolando Espinosa Sr., who was killed in a police operation inside a jail in 2016.

Previously described by authorities as Eastern Visayas’ biggest drug lord, Espinosa fled the country in 2016, was arrested in Abu Dhabi, and later deported.

He implicated former senator Leila de Lima in the drug trade but later retracted his testimony, alleging coercion. Most of his drug cases have been dismissed, though he continues to face money laundering and other charges.

In Manila, Commission on Elections Chair George Erwin Garcia condemned the shooting, saying acts of political violence must be denounced and the perpetrators brought to justice.(MyTVCebu)