MANILA – A lawyer on Wednesday said witnesses close to suspected Eastern Visayas drug lord Kerwin Espinosa said the pink and blue books that allegedly contain the names of the protectors of the illegal drug trade in the region were ready-made.

Atty. Delito Sulibaga, lawyer of Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez, alleged that Albuera police chief Jovie Espinido was behind the two books that supposedly belonged to Kerwin's father, slain Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr.

The two books supposedly contain the names of politicians who received drug money from syndicates.

But Sulibaga said witnesses claimed that they were forced by Espinido and another police officer, identified as Heidi Yutrago, to attest to the content of the records.

According to Sulibaga, the witnesses said some of the names in the books indeed received drug money, but the books were manufactured by Espinido in order to include the names of innocent people.

“They recanted na wala talagang blue book at saka pink book. Ang lahat ay dictated except sa iilang opisyal sa gobyerno na confirmed nila na nagtanggap talaga ng payola,” Sulibaga told reporters.

(They recanted and said the the blue and pink books do not really exist. They said everything in the books were dictated, except for the names of those who really received payola.)

“Basically, iyung notebook wala, gawa-gawa lang ng pulis, ni Jovie at saka ni Yutrago. Iyung mga opisyal na iniinvolve nila, dagdag lang yun, may iilang confirmed pero the rest are dagdag, dictated by Yutrago at saka Jovie.”

(Basically, the notebooks were only manufactured by Jovie and Yutrago. Some of the officials being involved in the drug trade were only added to the list.)

DE LIMA 'CONNECTION'

Espinido earlier claimed that former Justice secretary and now Senator Leila de Lima was among the personalities listed in the blue book.

Espenido told a Senate hearing last week that the mayor, his wife, and four other children had claimed they witnessed De Lima's first meeting with Kerwin at Burnham Park in Baguio City.

Espinido also said that another son of the slain mayor, Kevin, claimed in his affidavit that he delivered P8 million to De Lima at Dampa Restaurant in Pasay.

In the hearing, Espinido said the pink book was provided by the slain mayor while the blue book was surrendered by Espinosa's accountant.

'WALKING DEAD'

Sulibaga refused to identify the three witnesses, but he said these three were referred to him by another person after escaping from Espinido.

“They were really trusted men of Kerwin who previously executed an affidavit. Sabi nila parang walking dead na daw sila. So at least kung mamatay sila, they can tell the truth to the public,” Sulibaga said.

Sulibaga said, the three are now under the protection of a “concerned group of people.”

“They are requesting the government to protect them and at the same time their immediate families,” Sulibaga said.

Another lawyer of Gomez, Alex Avisado, said these three witnesses will surface at the right time.

“Pinirmahan na lang nila out of takot. Itong mga testigo, ready silang humarap. Llalabas sila. Siguro In due time, makakausap din ninyo, maririnig niyo ang kanilang istorya,” Avisado said.

RUBOUT?

Sulibaga, meanwhile, also alleged that the August 3 gunfight near the house of Mayor Espinosa was a rubout, according to one of the witnesses.

The supposed gun battle in Sitio Tinago, Barangay Binolho at around 5:30 a.m. on August 3 resulted in the deaths of 6 men allegedly linked to the Espinosa group.

Two of the men were killed near the mayor's house; two near Kerwin’s house; and the other two in the first house of the mayor.

Recovered from the crime scene were 13 assorted long firearms, four caliber .45 pistols, and several rifle grenades, according to the PNP Public Information Office (PIO).

Sulibaga, however, quoting one of the witnesses, said the items recovered from the scene were planted the night before.

GOMEZ CASE

Avisado and Sulibaga are representing Gomez, who was linked by Chief Inspector Leo Laraga of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) - Region 8 to the illegal drug trade in Eastern Visayas led by the Espinosa group.

The actor has vehemently denied the accusation and said it was the handiwork of his political opponents, whom he said Espinido is working for.

During the Senate hearing, Laraga said he heard Espenido mention Gomez’s name in a case conference as among the politicians involved in the drug trade in the region. The information was supposedly based on the testimony of the slain mayor.

Apart from Gomez, also named by Laraga were Baybay Vice Mayor Mike Cari, Leyte Rep. Vicente “Ching” Veloso, and Leyte Governor Leopoldo Petilla.

Gomez and his wife, Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres Gomez, trooped to the National Police Commission headquarters on Wednesday to file an administrative case for gross misconduct, abuse of authority, dishonesty and conduct unbecoming of a public officer against Laraga, Espenido, and Yutrago.

Kerwin is set to return to the Philippines later this week from Abu Dhabi, UAE. The government said Kerwin might be placed under the Department of Justice's Witness Protection Program if he will reveal everything he knows about the drug trade.