Sinas welcomes cash reward for businessman’s arrest
If only to help get Peter Lim, the top official of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) welcomes any groups that will dangle a reward to anyone who can give information about the controversial businessman’s whereabouts.
Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, director of PRO-7, said that while the police have been trying to locate Lim, public support would be a big help.
“We welcome it (giving rewards) since it will encourage the public to report to police the whereabouts of Peter Lim,” said Sinas.
But whether or not groups or even the government would provide a reward scheme, Sinas said his men will do their job to arrest the controversial Cebuano businessman.
“However, whether may reward or wala, the PNP will serve the warrant of arrest and effect the arrest of Peter Lim,” Sinas said in a text message sent to Cebu Daily News.
Five days since the Makati City Regional Trial Court issued the warrant of arrest, Lim is still nowhere to be found.
Judge Gina Bibat-Palamos of the Regional Trial Court Branch 65 in Makati City on Aug. 14 ordered the arrest of Lim over charges of “conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading.”
On the same day, she issued the arrest warrant against Lim and, in particular, directed the Mabolo Police Station or “any officer of the law” to arrest Lim whose given address was at No. 12 Tres Borces Extension in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.
Last Thursday, the police finally were able to secure a copy of the warrant of arrest.
But as of Saturday, they have yet to serve the warrant to Lim.
Sinas, however, assured, that they will serve the warrant once Lim will be located.
Tracker team created
He added that a tracker team, composed of the different units of the Cebu City Police Office, was created to help track down Lim.
“We have created our own tracker team in CCPO, and the different intel units of PRO-7 are now dispatched to locate Peter Lim. And once located we will serve the warrant of arrest,” said Sinas.
The police believe that Lim is still in Cebu or anywhere in the country.
The same court also issued a hold departure order against the Cebu-based businessman.
“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,” 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.
The offense is non-bailable.
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