Criminal cases will be filed against those helping Cebuano businessman Peter Lim hide from the authorities following the charge against him of conspiring to smuggle illegal drugs, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Sunday.
He made the statement even as he said Lim was still in the country because there was no indication he had been able to leave.
“Definitely, we will also run after the coddlers of Peter Lim. Those found to have aided him in evading arrest will face criminal cases,” Guevarra said in a text message.
He said obstruction-of-justice charges could be filed against those harboring a fugitive.
Arresting teams of the Philippine National Police and National Bureau of Investigation have been hunting down Lim ever since the Makati City regional trial court Branch 65 ordered his arrest on Aug. 14.”©
“Too bad the PNP and the NBI have yet to find some leads as to his whereabouts,” Guevarra said.
The authorities claim Lim is being aided by the people in his network to evade arrest.
“©The Makati court has also issued a hold- departure order against the businessman to prevent him from leaving the country.”©
Guevarra said Lim could still be in the country based on the records of the Bureau of Immigration, but the government could seek help from the Interpol should he be able to sneak out of the county via the back door.
The Justice department indicted Lim on Aug. 10 after finding probable cause in the complaint filed by the PNP-CIDG, which was earlier dismissed by a previous panel of prosecutors. Also charged in court were detained drug trader Kerwin Espinosa, state witness Marcelo Adorco, and Ruel Malindangan”©
The new panel led by Senior Associate State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera cited as evidence Espinosa’s confession at the Senate”•the transcript of which was submitted to the investigating prosecutors for the new probe”•and Adorco’s positive identification of Lim.”©