CEBU-BASED businessman Peter Lim on Thursday showed up before the Justice Department to submit his counter-affidavit denying the charges he is trading in illegal drugs filed against him by the Philippine National Police.
Lim, who wore a mask and sunglasses, submitted his counter-affidavit seeking the dismissal of the charges against him and called them “baseless and nonsensical.”
He said he had never been involved in the illegal drug trade in Central Visayas as claimed by the police, and that he never met Marcelo Adorco or Kerwin Espinosa or the other respondents tagged in the illegal drug trade.
He also denied he was the alias Jaguar in the government’s narco list and recalled that he even presented himself before the National Bureau of Investigation earlier.
But Lim hurriedly left the department in the afternoon after subscribing to his affidavit before investigating Assistant State Prosecutor Aristotle Reyes.
His lawyer Majilyn Loja told reporters he did not want his filing of his counter-affidavit covered by the media.
Earlier in the day, Lim did not attend the preliminary investigation hearing where Loja submitted the counter-affidavit he subscribed to before Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Antonio Valencia in the Manila City prosecutor’s office Aug. 22.
Loja cited her client’s security concerns in deciding to subscribe to his affidavit before the Manila prosecutor’s office.
“He has enumerated the confluence of events why he’s fearful for his life. It is quite specific as to the reasons why he is unable to appear before today’s preliminary investigation,” Loja said.
She said Lim felt that the security at the Manila City Hall where the city prosecutor’s office was located was better than in the Justice Department.
“Did you see the number of people around? We could not be sure about the security. It was a personal decision that he made,” Loja said.
“Access to this place [DOJ] is available to anyone who can come in regardless. Unfortunately, the panel is unable to appreciate the fear that my client has regarding the safety of his life.”
But the DOJ panel rejected the explanation and still required Lim to appear before them, prompting the lawyer to return to the department in the afternoon with her client.
Apart from Lim, Adorco and Espinosa, the other respondents in the complaint filed by the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group are inmate Peter Co, Max Miro, Lovely Adam Impal, Ruel Malindangan and Jun Pepito.
Co and Espinosa appeared in the hearing and submitted their affidavits.
The other respondents were given until the next hearing on Sept. 6 to file their respective answers.
Espinosa, a confessed drug dealer and son of slain drug Lord Mayor Rolando Espinosa, was put under the government’s witness protection program after his testimony in the drug charges against detained Senator Leila de Lima. Co, on the other hand, is a high-profile inmate in the New Bilibid Prison who was recently brought back to the maximum security compound.
Impal was also arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in January. The PNP complaint tagged Lim as the alleged supplier of illegal drugs to the group of Espinosa.