Peter Lim, 7 others face drug raps
Amid reports that he has left the country, Peter Lim, the Cebu-based businessman and campaign supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte, is now facing drug charges before the Department of Justice together with seven other high-value drug trafficking suspects.
MANILA, Philippines - Amid reports that he has left the country, Peter Lim, the Cebu-based businessman and campaign supporter of President Duterte, is now facing drug charges before the Department of Justice (DOJ) together with seven other high-value drug trafficking suspects.
Also in the charge sheet are Kerwin Espinosa, inmate Peter Co, Marcelo Adorco, Max Miro, Lovely Adam Impal, Ruel Malindangan and Jun Pepito.
Lim has been charged with the sale, administration, dispensation, trade, delivery and transport of illegal drugs under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. The complaint was filed by the Major Crimes Investigation Unit of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group earlier this month.
The DOJ task force on illegal drugs is set to conduct preliminary investigation on the charges next week. Lim’s whereabouts are unknown, but sources in Cebu say he has left the country.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has issued a lookout bulletin order (LBO) against Lim and the other respondents.
In a memorandum issued yesterday, Aguirre ordered the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to monitor the possible flight of Lim and other respondents.
“In view of the gravity of the offense filed against the above-named individuals, there is likelihood that they might leave the country to place themselves beyond the reach of the lawful processes of the concerned offices,” read the four-page order dated July 11.
“In light of the foregoing, the Commissioner, Bureau of Immigration, is hereby ordered to instruct all immigration officers to be on the lookout/alert for the above-named individuals in the event that any more of them pass through immigration counters in any of our international airports and/or seaports,” Aguirre’s order read.
Espinosa, confessed drug dealer and son of slain drug lord mayor Rolando Espinosa, is currently under government’s witness protection program for his testimony in the drug charges against detained Sen. Leila de Lima.
Co, on the other hand, is a high-profile inmate in the New Bilibid Prison recently transferred back to the maximum security compound.
In a Senate hearing last year, Espinosa tagged Lim as the top supplier of illegal drugs in Central Visayas.
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