Malacañang on Thursday asked businessman and suspected illegal drugs dealer Peter Lim to surrender and prove his innocence in court.
“We’re asking Peter Lim, please surrender. If you are innocent, prove your innocence in court,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque told reporters.
But he said he was not appealing to the alleged drug lord, who remains at large, as tracker teams had been formed to find him.
“I’m just saying surrender. I’m not appealing. I’m just saying if you don’t surrender, we will still get you,” Roque said.
He made his statement even as a regional trial court in Manila affirmed the indictment of self-confessed drug dealer Kerwin Espinoza and four others over the drug charges filed against them by the Philippine National Police.
In a single-page order received by the Justice department on Wednesday, Judge Merianthe Pacita Zuraek of Manila City RTC, Branch 51, sustained the department’s findings of probable cause against Espinoza, convicted drug lord Peter Co, witness Marcelo Adorco, Lovely Impal and Ruel Malindangan for two counts of violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. PNA with Rey E. Requejo
“After personally evaluating the information and its certification, together with the documents submitted in support thereof, the Court finds the existence of probable cause against [all accused],” the court said in its order.
Roque said the government will guarantee that Lim will get a fair trial if he decides to surrender.
“If you’re innocent, then we guarantee that you will be given your day in court. I think we have proven to the whole world that we have an independent judiciary,” Roque said.
“You have nothing to fear by way of being a victim of injustice. We have competent courts, so I think he should surrender.”
Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte did not know Lim personally although both, in one occasion, stood as wedding sponsors.
He said Lim was technically a fugitive from the law “because there is a warrant of arrest against him.”
He said Lim remained the subject of a manhunt, and that there was no information yet whether the businessman from Cebu had left the country.
According to reports, Lim’s lawyers claimed that their client had not been communicating with them.
The Makati City Regional Trial Court issued warrant of arrest on Aug. 14 against Lim for a drug case filed by the Justice department. With Rey E. Requejo