Lim’s denial a ploy to divert focus on him – CIDG

“A DIVERSIONARY tactic”

This is how the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG-7) described the claim of the lawyer of Cebu businessman Peter Lim that he is not the same Peter Lim alias Jaguar, alluded to by President Rodrigo Duterte as among the country’s big drug lords.

Without a doubt, he is, said Chief Insp. Hector Amancia, CIDG-7 deputy director, who added that the results of all their investigations point to the Cebuano businessman as the Peter Lim, who is a drug lord.

“Definitely the unit who is doing the investigation, gitumbok nga siya ang Peter Lim nga giundergo usab og investigation,” Amancia said.

(Definitely the unit doing the investigation pointed to him as the Peter Lim who was under investigation then.)

Amancia was referring to the Congressional Inquiry initiated by then Rep. Antonio Cuenco in 2001, that investigated the allegations that businessman Peter Lim and his brother Wellington were involved in illegal drugs.

“(Claiming that he is not the Peter Lim alluded to as a drug lord) is just a diversionary tactic so the investigation will not be focused on them. But anyway, they have the right to say that their client is not the Peter Lim subject of the illegal drug complaint,” Amancia said in Cebuano.

He said they have submitted all the pieces of evidence they gathered against Lim and will no longer get more as he believes the evidence is sufficient to convict Lim.

“We believe nga among gigather nga evidence are sufficient enough. But depende na sa appreciation sa higher office pud,” Amancia stated.

(We believe that the evidence we gathered is sufficient. But it still depends on the appreciation of the higher office.)

During the preliminary investigation of the drug trafficking charge at the Department of Justice (DOJ) last Monday, Lim’s lawyer Majilyn Loja said, “He is not that person. He has always denied it. In fact, he had presented himself (to the authorities) saying he is not the Peter Lim alias Jaguar.”

The Cebu businessman did not attend the preliminary investigation last Aug. 14, but his lawyer said it does not mean Lim is not going to face the charges.

“The (proceeding) is only for us to be furnished with a copy of the complaint. We were deputized by our client to get his copy,” the lawyer told reporters during the preliminary investigation last Monday.

Loja insisted that the witness who identified Lim as a drug lord should appear before the prosecutors and affirm his affidavit.

“Considering the crime imputed to my client is very grave, we find it [that] he should be presented so that he can subscribe to his affidavits and verify if his claims are true,” the lawyer said.