Armed with an arrest warrant, police and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) personnel enter the house of businessman Peter Lim on Monday. CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA
Cebu police still on lookout for Peter Lim
Although the police failed to find Peter Lim on Monday, operatives from the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) are not about to let their guards down just in case the controversial businessman resurfaces in Cebu.
Senior Superintendent Royina Garma, the director of CCPO, said that they will continue to look for Lim and arrest him for a string of drug charges.
“Hanggang may warrant of arrest hahanapin namin siya. Even if wala siya sa area kung saan naka-address ang warrant that will not stop the police from looking for him,” said Garma.
(As long as there is a warrant of arrest, we will never stop looking for him. Even if Lim was not in the area where the arrest warrant was addressed, that will not stop the police from looking for him)
Two teams from CCPO simultaneously served the arrest warrant at the businessman’s residences in Barangay Kasambagan and at Sto. Niño Village in Banilad past 1 p.m. on Monday.
However, the joint team of police and SWAT personnel failed to arrest Lim as the latter was nowhere to be found.
Caretakers of both houses told police they have not seen their employer for years now.
In hiding
Garma said that based on intelligence reports, Lim is now hiding in Manila.
But she said they remain optimistic that Lim will return to Cebu as she ordered all policemen to be alert at all times.
“Wanted talaga siya. He is considered a wanted person kasi may warrant at kasama din siya sa listahan ng Presidente,” said Garma.
(He is now a wanted person because a warrant of arrest has been issued against him and he is also included in the President’s ‘narco list’)
Judge Gina Bibat-Palamos of the Regional Trial Court Branch 65 in Makati City issued the warrant against Lim after the Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted the Cebu-based businessman 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.
President Rodrigo Duterte publicly called out Lim in 2016, alleging that he was one of the biggest drug dealers in the country.
But Lim denied the charges, saying he was not the Peter Lim named by the President.
‘Help us’
Meanwhile, Garma also called on the drivers, house helpers, and employees of Lim to help the government locate the alleged big time drug lord.
Garma encouraged Lim’s employees to report to the police if they have any knowledge about his whereabouts.
Garma though admitted that this would be difficult considering that these people are paid by Lim and are afraid knowing what he is capable of.
“It is a call para magising ‘yung mga katulong niya, driver niya, security personnel niya and employees niya [na] to help this government sa war against drugs. And Peter Lim is one of the biggest subjects na kailangan ma-neutralize and maaresto natin,” said Garma.