THE Makati City Regional Trial Court has issued a hold departure order against Cebu-based businessman Peter Lim.
“Finding the grounds relied upon by the prosecution to be impressed with merit, the Urgent Ex-Parte Motion for the Issuance of Hold Departure Order (HDO) against Peter Go Lim is hereby granted,” Makati RTC Branch 65 acting Presiding Judge Gina M. Bibat-Palamos said in an order released Friday.
“The Bureau of Immigration is hereby ordered to prevent or hold the departure from the country of accused Peter Go Lim,” read the court order.
Lim, together with self-confessed drug trader Kerwin Espinosa, Marcelo Adorco, and Ruel Malindangan, is accused of violating Section 26 (B) in relation to Section 5, Article II (conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading) of Republic Act No. 9165, a non-bailable offense.
But four days after the court ordered the arrest of Lim, police officers in Cebu have yet to serve the arrest warrant against him.
While an official of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) has confirmed having received a copy of the warrant, Senior Insp. Dindo Alaras, commander of the Mabolo Police Station, said it was not forwarded to them yet.
“Wala pa gyud mi ka receive sa official warrant although nakita na namo sa social media. Mas maayo na official ang warrant nga ato i-serve kay dili ta pwede mag-agad lang sa social media,” he said in an interview on Friday.
(We have yet to receive the official warrant of arrest although we saw it on social media. It would be better for us to use the official warrant instead of just depending on what we saw on social media.)
Alaras said they were also waiting for orders from Senior Supt. Royina Garma, director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), on the matter.
Where is Peter Lim?
The Mabolo Police Station was particularly ordered by the court to serve the arrest warrant against Lim whose last given address was at No. 12 Tres Borces Extension in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.
Alaras said they have a team to serve the arrest warrant against Lim.
“We’re preparing although we couldn’t serve it yet,” he said.
Alaras said they continue to check on the whereabouts of Lim. “I could not say whether he’s still here in the country or not,” he added.
If the police could not find Lim within 10 days from receipt of the warrant of arrest, Alaras said they would report it to the court. Subsequently, he said, the court would issue an alias warrant of arrest, which could be implemented by any law enforcement agency even beyond 10 days or until Lim is arrested.
“For now, we’re not just focusing on arresting Peter Lim. We also have other arrest warrants to serve,” Alaras said.
A panel of prosecutors recently recommended the filing of charges against Lim for violating Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, particularly for “selling, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution and transportation of any dangerous drug.”
The DOJ used as a basis the testimony of self-confessed drug lord Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr. before the Senate where Lim was identified as one of his suppliers of dangerous drugs.