SC junks Peter Lim’s bid to stop drug case

The Supreme Court (SC) has junked the petition filed by accused drug lord Peter Lim that challenged the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) order to reinvestigate the drug charges against him, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Wednesday, Sept. 26.

In a text message, Guevarra said the Supreme Court has found no abuse of discretion on the part of the DOJ when it decided to reinvestigate the charges against Lim.

According to Guevarra, the SC held that “on the contrary, the questioned order/resolution are in accordance with the facts and the applicable law and jurisprudence.”

Lim earlier asked the SC to stop the DOJ from reinvestigating his case and reinstate the DOJ resolution dated Dec. 20, 2017 that cleared him and several others of drug charges for insufficiency of evidence.

He argued that the DOJ gravely abused its discretion when it issued on March 19 the department order, which set aside its panel of prosecutors’ decision amid public outcry.

In his petition, Lim said that “public outrage” could never be considered as evidence.

He also said that the DOJ’s decision to revisit the drug charges lodged against him violated his rights to life, liberty and due process of law and speedy disposition of his case.

Pursuant to the DOJ’s order dated March 19, the DOJ conducted another preliminary investigation into Lim’s case and in August, after finding probable cause into the complaints filed by the Philippine National Police, charged Lim before the Makati Regional Trial Court for conspiracy to commit drug trading.

A warrant for Lim’s arrest was issued on Aug. 14. Lim has yet to be found.