Fugitive ex-PBA player falls

MANILA, Philippines - A former Philippine Basketball Association player, charged for locking up his secretary over an unpaid debt, was arrested Thursday after eight months in hiding.

Dennis Espino, 38, who used to play for the Sta. Lucia Realtors and Powerade Tigers, was arrested in Barangay Tabun in Mabalacat, Pampanga, said Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Director Samuel Pagdilao Jr.

Pagdilao added that a team from the Women and Children Protection Division (WCPD), led by Chief Inspector Fernando Cunanan Jr., arrested Espino at the office of his brother, engineer Eduardo Espino, by virtue of a warrant issued by San Fernando, Pampanga Regional Trial Court Judge Mary Anne Pardon-Rivera.

The CIDG chief said Espino’s arrest stemmed from a complaint filed by Mildred Eiman, 20, his former business secretary at his piggery, Northline Farms. She said Espino allegedly locked her up for more than a month for failing to pay her P5,000 debt.

Cunanan said it took them eight months before they could arrest Espino, whose cousin is Arayat, Pampanga Mayor Luis Espino. His uncle, Chito Espino, is the former mayor.

 “The presence of left-leaning armed groups in the area made it difficult for the team to arrest Espino considering his farm, Northline Farms, lies in the footholds of Mount Arayat,” Cunanan added.

Cunanan said the farm was guarded by some members of the Philippine Army stationed at Mount Arayat, which also made difficult to conduct surveillance operations.

During the surveillance, police said Espino stayed in different places including their ancestral house in Nepo, Angeles City; his farm in Arayat, Pampanga; Vista Verde in Cainta, Rizal; and a rest house in Baguio City. He also rented a house in a resettlement area in Mabalacat and has reportedly used different cars to elude arrest.