If elected Albuera mayor
ALBUERA, Leyte – Mayoral candidate Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa has pledged to make the fight against illegal drugs his top priority if elected, alongside efforts to improve livelihood opportunities for residents.
Espinosa made this commitment during a press conference on Sunday, March 30, as he officially launched his bid to lead Albuera, a town once labeled as the illegal drug capital of Eastern Visayas.
Espinosa, whose father Rolando Espinosa Sr.—a former mayor—was killed inside his jail cell in Baybay City in 2016 while facing drug-related allegations, said he had already spoken directly with individuals involved in illegal drugs, urging them to stop.
“The presence of illegal drugs in Albuera will be one of my priority programs once I am elected mayor,” Espinosa said at his campaign headquarters, located in front of the municipal hall.
He promised a two-pronged approach: rehabilitating drug users and ensuring that drug pushers face legal consequences.
“I am serious about my goal to clear Albuera of illegal drugs. Those who are using the illegal drugs will be rehabilitated while the drug dealers will be dealt accordingly without involving any killing,” he added.
Beyond the drug issue, Espinosa said he would focus on creating jobs and providing livelihood opportunities to ensure economic stability for Albuera residents.
He vowed to require investors to hire local workers, citing the town’s economic growth as an opportunity for residents to benefit.
He also plans to introduce training programs for individuals who were unable to complete their education, offering courses such as welding and other vocational skills.
“We have many residents here who are not graduates. Perhaps they can be provided with skills training to help them secure jobs,” he said.
Espinosa also promised to protect the town’s municipal waters, ensuring that only Albuera’s fishermen would be allowed to fish there.
Local fishermen, he said, have been competing with those from Ormoc City and Merida, despite a previous agreement allowing them to share the fishing grounds of Ormoc Bay.
“If elected, I will ensure that our local fishermen will have exclusive rights to fish in our own territorial waters,” he emphasized.
Espinosa is running under the ‘Bando Espinosa, Pundok Kausaban’ party, with his younger sister, Mariel, as his vice mayoral candidate.
He is up against incumbent Mayor Sixto de la Victoria and Leyte Board Member Vincent Rama in the May 12, 2025 elections.
Arrested in Abu Dhabi in October 2016, he was extradited to the Philippines and faced charges of illegal drug trading, money laundering, and illegal possession of firearms.
Between 2021 and 2023, several courts dismissed the cases against him due to lack of evidence.
In December 2023, he posted bail of P600,000 before RTC-Branch 14 in Baybay City.
On January 5, 2024, the same court dismissed his remaining drug cases after granting his motion of demurrer, effectively acquitting him.
However, an anti-money laundering complaint remains active before a Pasay court, and the Court of Appeals reopened his drug cases in February 2024, citing due process violations in the original dismissal.
Espinosa, who returned to Albuera last year, is now seeking a political comeback, aiming to reestablish his family’s influence in the town and shed his controversial past.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
