Self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa. ARCHIVE

In a stunning political comeback, self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, who was previously arrested in Abu Dhabi, has been proclaimed the newly elected mayor of Albuera, Leyte. Espinosa, who ran as an independent under the local party Bando Espinosa-Pundok Kausaban, clinched a landslide win with 14,919 votes, defeating incumbent mayor Sixto Dela Victoria, who got 3,842 votes, and former vice mayor Vince Rama, who received 9,744 votes. His sister, RR Espinosa, also won as vice mayor, garnering 14,372 votes, ahead of Manic Barte with 8,991 votes and Liza Dela Victoria with 4,467 votes. Espinosa vowed to turn a new leaf by focusing his administration on peace and order and eliminating illegal drugs in his hometown—ironically the very same issue that once made him a notorious figure. “What I will prioritize first is peace and order, and providing a solution to the drug problem here in Albuera. We will clean up drugs in our city. We will have zero tolerance for drugs,” he said in Filipino. Espinosa emphasized that he favors rehabilitation for drug users but warned that drug pushers would be jailed. “I do not want others to experience what I went through. I have seen the harmful effects of drugs on people. It is not good,” he said.

Criminal past linked to Abu Dhabi

Espinosa’s road to public office is nothing short of controversial. In October 2016, he was arrested in Abu Dhabi after evading Philippine authorities during the early months of then president Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal war on drugs. The Abu Dhabi Police, in coordination with Interpol and the Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Group, arrested him after Filipino workers in the UAE recognized him and alerted authorities. “Abu Dhabi Police arrested a Filipino drug lord Kerwin Espinosa enlisted on the Interpol list... Necessary procedures were taken to hand him over accordingly to Interpol,” the Abu Dhabi Police confirmed in an official statement. He reportedly entered the UAE using a Philippine passport under his real name, Rolan Eslabon Espinosa, on a three-month visa issued in Dubai, listing his profession as “sales representative.” He was extradited to the Philippines in November 2016. Upon arrival in Manila, Espinosa was seen in handcuffs and a flak jacket, escorted by a police team from Abu Dhabi. Espinosa was once branded by authorities as Eastern Visayas’ biggest drug lord, with his hometown of Albuera described as the “drug capital” of the region at the height of Duterte’s anti-drug campaign. He fled the Philippines in 2016 after police raided their family compound and arrested his father, then-mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. Six of their men were killed in that operation. In November 2016, his father was killed in jail during a supposed shootout with police. “Because of my wrong decisions and involvement in illegal drugs, my father died,” Kerwin admitted in a statement prior to the May 2025 elections. Kerwin later testified against former senator Leila de Lima, alleging her involvement in the New Bilibid Prison drug trade, but he later recanted, saying he was coerced. Most of the drug cases against him were dismissed for insufficient evidence in various courts, including in Makati, Manila, and Baybay City. However, he still faces a money laundering case in Pasay and two reopened drug and firearms charges in Manila. On April 10, during the campaign period, Espinosa survived a gun attack at a rally in Barangay Tinag-an, Albuera. He was hospitalized but fully recovered and returned to the campaign trail. Despite his controversial background, Espinosa’s message of redemption and promise to reform seemingly struck a chord with voters in Albuera. ICA/CAM/Expat Media
For all the latest news from the UAE and the world, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube page