Probe on drug raps vs. Kerwin Espinosa, Peter Lim set on Thursday

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The new panel of prosecutors will start its preliminary investigation on the drug raps against confessed drug dealer Kerwin Espinosa, Cebu-based businessman Peter Lim, inmate Peter Co and a dozen others.

This is the first high-profile case under the lead of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, who took the vacated seat of Vitaliano Aguirre II.

The prosecutors, led by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera, sent summons to the respondents for a preliminary investigation on Thursday, 1:00 p.m.

Lim has earlier asked for a separate investigation from his co-respondents. He said that his defenses “might not be given due attention” by the DOJ prosecutors due to the number of respondents named by the Philippine National Police.

He added that the allegations against him were full of “muddled issues, unrelated testimonies and irrelevant and immaterial pieces of evidence.”

Aside from the three respondents, also tagged in the case are Lovely Impal, Marcelo Adorco, Max Miro, Ruel Malindangan, Jun Pepito and dozen others only known through their aliases.

However, according to the returns of summons from the DOJ, Miro and Pepito are already dead.

The panel has yet to resolve Lim’s motion.

Guevarra said that this case and the application of Janet Lim-Napoles, alleged mastermind of the multi-billion pork barrel scam, are among his priorities as the new justice chief.

READ: Kerwin drug case and Napoles as state witness 'priorities' of new DOJ chief

Aguirre drew flak for “mishandling” the case, where two state prosecutors dismissed the drug raps filed by the police due to weak evidence.

The PNP admitted that they did not attach Espinosa’s confession—crucial evidence in charging the respondents—in their complaint.

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