A Baybay, Leyte Regional Trial Court (RTC) granted the petition for bail filed by self-confessed drug lord Rolan 'Kerwin' Espinosa in one of his illegal drug charges.
In an order dated June 15 but released on Wednesday, June 14, Leyte RTC Branch 14 presiding judge Carlos Arguelles said that the "prosecution evidence failed to establish that the evidence of guilt" against Espinosa is strong."
He said that there were no eyewitnesses who could establish that Espinosa conspired with his co-accused Brian Anthony Zaldivar, Jose Antipuesto, Alfred Batistis, and Marcelo Adorco to commit illegal drug trading in Western Visayas.
"Thus, the constitutional right to bail of the accused should be upheld by this Court," he said.
The Leyte court also allowed the four accused to post a bail bond.
The bail bond was set for P700,000 each.
However, Espinosa, who has been detained since 2017, will remain behind the bar as he is still facing another case before a Manila RTC.
Last June 8, Makati City RTC Branch 65 acquitted Espinosa and a co-accused named Marcelo Ardecoro in another drug case.
A Makati RTC also dismissed the case against self-confessed drug distributors and others in December 2021 due to the failure of the prosecution to cite evidence to overturn their presumption of innocence.
