THE SUPREME COURT has dismissed the petition filed by lawyers of Cebu businessman and suspected drug lord Peter G. Lim in connection with drug charges filed against him, who remains at-large and is being hunted down by the police.
The High Court’s Third Division, through Deputy Division clerk of court Misael Domingo Battung III, said the SC resolves to dismiss the petition (filed by Lim) for failure to show any grave abuse of discretion in rendering the challenged order and resolution.
The SC added that the assailed DOJ orders which charged Lim “appear to be in accord with the facts and the applicable law and jurisprudence”.
Aside from Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, members of the DOJ prosecution panel who pursued the charges against Lim were Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Navera,Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Anna Noreen Devanadera and Prosecution Attorney Herbert Babugan. Lim had filed the petition before the SC claiming the DOJ committed grave abuse of discretion when it reopened an investigation against since state prosecutors under former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre earlier dropped the drug charges.
At a Senate hearing on December 5, 2016, self-confessed drug distributor Kerwin Espinosa identified Lim as one of his alleged drug suppliers, an accusation the Cebu millionaire denied. In August 2017, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group filed a case against Lim, Espinosa and six others for alleged drug trafficking. And on August 14, a Makati court ordered Lim’s arrest after finding probable cause against him. (Benjamin Pulta)
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