Alleged drug lord Kerwin Espinosa on Wednesday cleared the name of actor and Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez and other officials linked to the narcotics trade.

"Di kaya ako barilin niyan? Walang kinalaman yan," Espinosa said when asked about Gomez's alleged drug involvement during Wednesday's Senate inquiry.

[Won't he shoot me? He has nothing to do with this.]

During a previous Senate hearing, Chief Inspector Leo Laraga of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) - Region 8 said he heard Albuera Police Chief Jovie Espenido mention Gomez’s name during a case conference as among the politicians involved in the drug trade in the region. The information was supposedly based on the testimony of slain Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr.

• READ: Richard Gomez, other Ormoc officials tagged as Espinosa cohorts

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

But Espinosa, who alleged that his father Mayor Espinosa had no knowledge of the trade's key players, cleared Gomez, Cari, Veloso and Petilla.

"Wala akong transaction sa kanila," he said.

[I never had any transaction with them.]

Espinosa also said he never dealt with Leyte Vice Governor Carlo Loreto, Ormoc City Prosecutor Marcelo Onate and Atty. John Ungab.