THE right hand man of slain top drug lord Melvin Odicta Sr. surrendered Tuesday morning, October 4, at Iloilo City Police Office and was immediately brought to the sala of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Rene Hortillo of Branch 26.
Jesus “Jingjing” Espinosa is facing a murder case committed some 12 years ago in Iloilo City and a court decision for his imprisonment was declared as final and executory by the Supreme Court.
His incarceration at the New Bilibid prison was not immediately carried out due to some technicalities, according to his lawyer Gualberto Cataluna.
After facing the RTC judge, Espinosa was brought to the Iloilo integrated jail in Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo while waiting for the final court order to be remitted to the national penitentiary to serve his 12 years jail sentence.
Espinosa, is a barangay kagawad of Barangay Monica Blumenttrit city proper while his wife Keith “Dabing” Espinosa is the barangay captain. Odicta was their wedding sponsor.
A search warrant was served at his house last Monday, October 3, and a police team looked for illegal drugs and guns. Espinosa eluded arrest and his family decided to surrender him and face the murder conviction.
Espinosa maintained that he is not into illegal drugs although the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency tagged him as a high value target being a close associate of Odicta.
Espinosa was also identified as a companion of Odicta and several others trying to break into DYOK Aksyon Radyo Iloilo on November 19, 2015.
In a Senate inquiry conducted on December 10, 2015 headed by Senator Grace Poe, Espinosa was a resource speaker and vehemently denied he is a drug trafficker.
