Kerwin Espinosa (left), former president Rodrigo Duterte (Speaker's office, Malacañang photo)

Rolan "Kerwin" Espinosa told the House quad-committee (quad-comm) Friday, Oct. 11 that he believes the order to kill his father, the late Albuera, Leyte mayor Rolando Espinosa, back in 2016 came from then-president Rodrigo Duterte. 

During the eighth iteration of the quad-comm hearing Friday, Espinosa publicly addressed for the first time in years his feelings surrounding his father's death amid the previous Duterte administration's aggressive war on drugs. 

Mayor Espinosa, whose name appeared on Duterte’s dreaded "narco-list", was killed inside his jail cell on Nov. 5, 2016, by police officers who served a search warrant. 

"Tayong mga Pilipino, nakita natin sa TV na ang dating presidente nagsasabi na patayin niya lahat ng mga narco-list. So pagka-intindi ko, siya talaga ang nag-utos na patayin ang papa ko," Espinosa said as he was interpellated by quad-comm co-chairman Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. 

(We Filipinos, we saw it on TV that the former president would say that he would kill everybody on the narco-list. So from my understanding, he's really the one who ordered to kill my father.) 

"So naniniwala ka na ang dating pangulo ang nag-utos na ipapatay ang iyong tatay (So you really believe the former president ordered the killing of your father)?" Abante asked Espinosa. 

"Opo (Yes) Mr. Chair," answered the witness. 

To this, Abante commented tongue-in-cheek that pro-Duterte Internet trolls are sure to target them the next day. 

"OK lang ‘yon, basta ang sa atin, ang katotohanan lang, at di naman bata ang lahat ng mga Pilipino na naniwala sa scenario nila, Mr. Chair," replied Espinosa. 

(That's OK, for us we're just after the truth, and not all Filipinos are children to believe their scenario.)

Not politically-motivated 

During the hearing, Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez wondered out loud whether or not Espinosa's appearance and testimony before the panel was politically-motivated. 

This, after Fernandez, another quad-comm co-chairman, asked and confirmed from Espinosa that he filed a certificate of candidacy (COC) for the mayoralty post in Albuera in the upcoming May 2025 elections. 

“Hustisya po para sa papa ko, kaya kong talikuran ‘yang pulitika (I want justice for my father, I can turn my back on politics),” Espinosa told Fernandez. 

To prove this, Espinosa expressed to the quad-comm his willingness to withdraw his candidacy to focus on seeking justice for his father. 

“Hindi mo kami masisisi kung mag-iisip kami na may halong pulitika ang ginagawa mo. But if you withdraw, baka ako mismo maniwala sa sinasabi mo,” Fernandez said. 

(You cannot blame us if we think that what you're doing has something to do with politics. But if you withdraw, you might be able to convince me otherwise.)