Kerwin Espinosa’s surrender to authorities this week thrusts him back into national headlines, but this time it’s not about drugs or politics.
It’s about an alleged murder case that has serious implications for one of the country’s most notoriously controversial political figures.
On February 5, 2026, Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa voluntarily presented himself to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Cebu after the Cebu City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 14 issued an arrest warrant for murder against him and four others.
The court explicitly recommended no bail, signaling the gravity of the charges.
According to filings linked to the warrant, the charges stem from an indictment dating back to September 2024 related to an alleged murder in Baybay City, Leyte, though authorities have not yet publicly detailed the circumstances of the killing or the victim’s identity.
Espinosa is not alone in this case as the arrest warrant names his co-accused Ronald Danieles Bulak, Eddie Mar Mitra, Marcelo Adorco, and a suspect known only as “alias Ronel.”
In a video message posted on social media, Espinosa urged both supporters and detractors to pray for his safety, citing concerns rooted in the violent death of his father, former Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., who was killed inside a provincial jail in 2016 under controversial circumstances.
He also denied that he had been hiding, saying his recent absence from public life was a security precaution rather than evasion of justice.
Espinosa’s legal camp claims the murder charge is politically motivated, a familiar defense he has used in past legal battles.
Critics argue that such tactics have become predictable and risk undermining public faith in the rule of law.
The mayor’s history is already fraught with legal clashes including high-profile drug allegations linked to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign, making this new charge another dramatic twist in a long saga.
Whether Espinosa’s surrender marks genuine accountability or another politically charged spectacle depends now on how the courts proceed.
With no bail recommended and serious murder allegations on the table, the coming weeks could be decisive not just for Espinosa, but for a justice system still struggling to separate power from privilege.
(Photo courtesy of SunStar Cebu)
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