MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s name cropped up once again at the congressional probe into the drug-related extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration on Friday, October 11.
At the eighth House quadcom hearing, self-confessed drug lord Rolan Eslabon “Kerwin” Espinosa told House lawmakers that Dela Rosa forced him to implicate former Sen. Leila De Lima and businessman Peter Lim in the illegal drug trade.
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Dela Rosa previously served as the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and is also known as the drug war architect.
Espinosa said that the former police chief threatened both his life and his family’s if he refused to comply with the order to admit his involvement in the illegal drug trade alongside De Lima and Lim.
This is what Espinosa remembers Dela Rosa had told him in 2016: “Sumunod ka sa plano, kung sino ang babanggitin mo para maligtas ang buhay mo. Kung ayaw mong sumunod, ikaw na ang susunod sa tatay mo or isa sa miyembro ng pamilya mo ay may mangyaring masama.”
(Follow the plan and name whoever you’re told to, if you want to save your life. If you refuse, you’ll end up like your father, or something bad will happen to one of your family members.)
Espinosa’s father, Rolando Espinosa, was elected to be Albuera, Leyte’s mayor in the 2016 national elections.
What was supposed to be Rolando’s first term was cut short when he was killed in November 2016 after being named in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s narco list.
Espinosa was also included in the list, which the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said was tagged as a drug trafficker.
RELATED: Narco-mayor Espinosa killed in jail
How Rolando was killed according to Espinosa
Espinosa said in his sworn statement that he was in Malaysia on vacation in June 2016 when he learned about Duterte’s narco list.
According to the affidavit, his father immediately sought legal assistance and met with Dela Rosa at Camp Crame to defend his name, questioning the accusations made against him.
Rolando briefly stayed at Dela Rosa’s house at Camp Crame in fear of his life and later returned to Albuera, Leyte where he lived temporarily at the city police station.
While Rolando was there, Espinosa said their house was raided by police authorities in August 2016, where they found drugs, firearms and explosives.
Espinosa denied this, saying that all this material evidence was merely planted by the police to solidify the claim that his father was involved in illegal drug trade.
“Planted lang ng mga police ang droga na sinabi nilang natagpuan sa bahay ng aking Papa para makasuhan ako at ang aking Papa,” he said.
(The police just planted the drugs that they claimed to have found in my father's house to file charges against me and my father.)
Planted evidence. He also explained that women supporters of his father had just cleaned the house before the raid. They attested that there were no drugs, firearms or explosives in the house.
“Pero hindi maaari ‘yun dahil bago nangyari ang raid, naglinis ang women’s group, na supporters ng aking Papa, sa bahay at sila mismo ang nagsasabing walang droga, pampasabog at baril doon sa bahay,” Espinosa said.
(But that’s not possible because before the raid occurred, the women’s group, who are supporters of my father, cleaned the house and they themselves said there were no drugs, explosives, or firearms there.)
Rolando’s imprisonment. After the raid, Rolando was imprisoned at the Provincial Jail of Baybay, Leyte. Meanwhile, Espinosa had received his first charge and a warrant of arrest.
Rolando, according to his son, warned him not to return to the Philippines because “he will be killed by the police.”
The late mayor was raided in his cell and killed on Nov. 5, 2016. Espinosa recounted that his sources revealed how his father begged for his life as operatives shot him, contrary to claims that he fought back.
“Wag po, Sir, wag niyo po ako patayin (Please, Sir, don’t kill me),” was what Rolando said moments before his death according to Espinosa.
The police officials, Espinosa said, had the jail guards "face the wall" and disarm themselves. They also ensured that the CCTV would not record the killing, he added.
Lawmakers moved to invite a certain "Dondon," one of the detainees who witnessed the killing to corroborate Espinosa's testimony.
Where Dela Rosa comes in. When Espinosa was taken by Philippine authorities, he said that Dela Rosa was among those who fetched him from the airport.
In a white land cruiser, Espinosa said that was when Dela Rosa gave him the order to link De Lima and Lim to the illegal drug trade.
As they arrived at Camp Crame in late November 2016, Espinosa was pressured to speak at a press conference where he became a “self-confessed drug lord.”
He was also compelled to mention more names in his affidavit, especially after Dela Rosa told him “it was approved by higher-ups” which Espinosa believes to be Duterte.
Not the first time Dela Rosa was mentioned
The first time Dela Rosa’s name came up was when former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog testified before the House quadcom on September 19.
Mabilog recounted how a general warned him against returning to the Philippines in 2017, despite Dela Rosa’s promise to clear his name of alleged involvement in illegal drugs.
According to the general, Mabilog would be killed if he came back.
RELATED: Here's why ex-mayor Mabilog left the Philippines in 2017
Espinosa’s message
When Espinosa was given the chance to deliver a message to Dela Rosa, he said, “Sir Bato Dela Rosa, sana po magbago na tayo na iwasan natin gumagawa lang ng scenario dahil lang sa politika na masira ang isang tao kasi hindi kaalyado natin.”
(Sir Bato Dela Rosa, I hope we can change and avoid creating scenarios just for politics that aim to ruin a person simply because they are not our ally.)
“Iwasan na po natin at wag na po natin gawin na pilitin na gumawa ng kwento para lang mapin down ang isang tao,” he added.
(Let’s avoid that and not force anyone to fabricate stories just to pin someone down.)
After hearing Espinosa's message, Dela Rosa said he would like to punch him in the face the next time they meet. He also cursed Espinosa, accusing him of speaking as if he were innocent.
"Sabihan mo siya, pag makita ko ‘yan suntukin ko siya sa mukha. G*** [siya] kung makapagsalita siya sino siyang malinis," Dela Rosa said.
(Tell him, when I see him, I’ll punch him in the face. He’s a fool for talking like he’s clean.)
Espinosa also gave a message to De Lima, mostly in Bisaya, asking for forgiveness but that he is also ready for any action she would decide to take against him.
After spending about seven years in detention, De Lima was acquitted of all charges filed against her in June 2024 due to the lack of evidence and recantation of testimonies, including Espinosa's.
To Duterte, the self-confessed drug lord said that he hopes the former president could validate each report he receives, especially now that he is running for Davao City mayor again.
Espinosa is making his mayoral bid in Albuera, Leyte as he filed his candidacy on October 1. Several of the charges made against him were dropped and he was acquitted of one case due to insufficient evidence in 2023 and 2024.
However, he is still facing money laundering charges in a Pasay court and two cases of illegal possession of drugs and firearms with the Court of Appeals. — with reports from News5 / Maeanne Los Baños-Oroceo