The lawyer of embattled Albuera, Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. was shot dead

The lawyer of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa and his son Kerwin was killed in an ambush in Barangay Lumbang 2 in Tacloban City on Tuesday afternoon, a report on Balita Pilipinas said.

The report identified the victim as Atty. Rogelio Bato, who was killed inside his Toyota Hilux at about 2 p.m.

Aside from Bato, a 15-year-old girl who was with him was also killed. Based on her uniform, authorities were able to determine that she was a student of Sagkahan National High School.

Rolando Espinosa and Kerwin are being linked to illegal drug activities in Eastern Visayas.

The elder Espinosa voluntarily surrendered to the Philippine National Police early August after President Rodrigo Duterte gave a "shoot on sight order" against him and his Kerwin.

He has denied the accusation that he is a big-time drug lord, but a raid at their ancestral home yielded at least 11 kilograms of shabu and ingredients for bomb-making.

Kerwin, on the other hand, has left the country and is believed to be either in Singapore or Malaysia, although Albuera police are verifying reports that he has been sighted in a hospital in Cebu City.