‘Arrest Peter Lim’

Makati court issues warrant

MANILA, Philippines — A court in Makati City yesterday issued a warrant of arrest against Cebu-based businessman Peter Lim, who has been charged for supposedly conspiring to trade illegal drugs in the country.

Acting Presiding Judge Gina Bibat-Palamos of Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 65 issued the arrest order against Lim.

“After a careful evaluation of the Information (or charge sheet) and the supporting evidence, the court finds that it has jurisdiction over the subject matter on the Information and that probable cause exist to hold accused Lim...for trial,” she said.

The RTC  set Lim’s arraignment on August 28 at 1:30 p.m.

An arrest order was also issued against Lim’s co-accused: Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa, Marcelo Adorco, and Ruel Malindagan.

Where’s he?

The FREEMAN tried to contact Lim’s spokesperson, Dioscoro Fuentes Jr., to ask confirmation if Lim is still in the country but he said he was not authorized to talk about the matter.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra over the weekend said Lim is “supposed to be in the country.”

He said that according to Bureau of Immigration records, Lim “left for a short trip abroad last March but returned after a few days.”

Senior Assistant State Prosecutors Juan Pedro Navera and Anna Noreen Devanadera, and Associate Prosecution Attorney Herbert Calvin Abugan on Monday filed an urgent motion for the issuance of a hold departure order against Lim.

They cited Lim’s “vast resources” and “history of frequently travelling [to] different countries” for asking the HDO.

Palamos set a trial on the state prosecutors’ request for a hold departure order against Lim on Friday, August 17.

Charges

Lim is facing two counts of violations of Section 26 (B) in relation to Section 5, Article II of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Navera, Devanadera, and Abugan penned the DOJ resolution that charged Lim with a violation of Section 26 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

Earlier, the DOJ charged confessed drug dealer Kerwin Espinosa, inmate Peter Co, Lovely Impal, and Ruel Malindagan for conspiracy to engage in illegal drug trade.

The DOJ, it can be recalled, dismissed the case of drug trading against the accused last year, citing weak evidence presented by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

The dismissal drew heavy criticism from the public.

Former justice chief Vitaliano Aguirre II stood by the prosecutors and said that the Philippine National Police should have asked for a transcript of Espinosa’s confession at the Senate. He resigned amid the controversy.

In the resolution released Friday, the panel gave weight to Espinosa’s confession at the Senate — the transcript of which was submitted to the investigating prosecutors for the new probe — and Marcelo Adorco’s positive identification of Lim.

Lim’s defense

The DOJ, citing the prosecutors, said that the “gravamen” or the most serious part of allegation in the charge of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading is the “agreement to trade in drugs.”

“The drugs themselves as corpus delicti (body of crime) of drug trading are not essential under Section 26(b) of the law,” the DOJ added.

The panel mentioned Lim’s defense that he is not “Jaguar.” The businessman said that he even presented himself before the National Bureau of Investigation earlier to clear his name.

An individual that goes by the name “Jaguar” is under the government’s narco list.

But the panel said that Lim’s defense is “immaterial” as he was positively identified by Adorco and Espinosa.

“[H]is alibi that he could not have possibly been in Thailand during the time attested by Adorco has to yield to the positive and affirmative statements of said witness,” the DOJ said.

Osmeña’s comments

At the City Hall, Mayor Tomas Osmeña has welcomed the recent indictment of Lim and Espinosa, praising the DOJ for the decision that is “a proof that change can be implemented in the department.”

“Good (indictment of Lim, Espinosa et al). That means there’s a change in the DOJ because Aguirre practically released Peter Lim,” the mayor told reporters at a press conference yesterday.

Osmeña said he heard that Lim is still in the country. While admitting that he knows the businessman, he said they are “not really” friends. — Philstar.com