THE Philippine National Police (PNP) will be imposing stricter security measures in its national headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City for the arrival of alleged Eastern Visayas drug lord Kerwin Espinosa.
PNP spokesperson Dionardo Carlos said that aside from the regular police personnel from the headquarters' support service, they will also deploy bomb squad and bomb-sniffing dogs within the vicinity – particularly in its entry points – to check on the vehicles going inside the camp.
He said additional police personnel from the National Capital Region Police Office will also be deployed outside the police camp.
Carlos said only the Crame's gate 2 along Boni Serrano will be open.
He said stricter security measures will also be implemented to media personnel. Those who wish to cover have to pass through two accreditation procedures before they will be allowed to enter the NHQ lobby, where Espinosa's presentation is expected take place.
"We have the planning to present him to the media so the people will know that he is safe [and] he is under the custody of the PNP upon arrival from the PNP," said Carlos.
Espinosa was arrested in an apartment unit in Abu Dhabi on October 16, two months after his father, the late Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa surrendered after being named by President Rodrigo Duterte as among the personalities involved in the illegal drug activities.
The older Espinosa admitted his son's involvement in illegal drugs, particularly in the Eastern Visayas and Cebu.
The Mayor however was arrested over charges of illegal drugs and illegal possession of firearms. He was killed inside his detention cell in Leyte sub-provincial jail on November 5 after allegedly engaging in a firefight the police operatives who tried serving him search warrant.
The PNP said the Espinosas' were considered as high-value suspects due to their knowledge on the illegal drugs trade in the country.
The younger Espinosa will undergo documentation process upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at around 3 am of Friday.
He will then be brought to Camp Crame, where he will be detained.
Carlos said there are two possibilities on Espinosas' presentation to the media: first is that he will be presented upon his arrival in Camp Crame or he will first undergo booking procedure before he will be presented.
However, he refused to identify where Espinosa will be detained.
Dela Rosa made a pronouncement earlier that Espinosa will be held at the PNP custodial center.
"Definitely not in the White House because Kerwin is a wanted person unlike before when the person of interest was a free man at that time and he sought the assistance of the PNP chief," Carlos said. (Sunnex)
