Drug dealer says he gave money to Philippine senator, police
MANILA -- A self-confessed drug dealer, whose father was killed in an alleged gun fight in prison, has testified before a Philippine Senate investigation that he provided police officials and an opposition senator with millions of pesos in protection money.
Rolando "Kerwin" Espinosa Jr. said Wednesday that he gave 8 million pesos ($160,000) last year to Sen. Leila de Lima's bodyguard. De Lima was a former justice secretary who President Rodrigo Duterte earlier alleged had collected money from drug lords through her bodyguard, who was also her lover, to fund her senatorial campaign.
De Lima, who has initiated an investigation into Duterte's deadly anti-drug campaign, denied receiving money from Espinosa, saying she does not know him.
