Lawyer: Lim still in Cebu

Police Regional Office-7 director Noli Taliño said they are validating reports that businessman Peter Lim has already left the country.

Lim's lawyer, Ramon Esguerra, however, denied such information insisting that his client and his family are just in Cebu City.

"My client, Mr. Peter Go Lim, is compelled to vehemently deny the news from certain quarters that he and his family have left the Philippines. Contrary to the baseless reports, Mr. Lim and his family are in Cebu City," Esguerra said.

Esguerra said Lim has never left the country since he was investigated by the National Bureau of Investigation after a certain Peter Lim was included on the list of suspected drug lords operating in the country exposed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Esguerra said Lim is fully cooperating in the investigation, claiming that he was not the same Peter Lim on Duterte's list.

"He does not intend to leave at all and earnestly hopes that he will be cleared as soon as possible. It must be made clear that having not left the country in the recent past, the sources of the disinformation may be referring to another Peter Lim who is being referred to be based abroad," he added.

Although there was no formal directive from Camp Crame, Taliño said that PRO-7 took the initiative of validating the report since Lim was subject of an ongoing investigation. Aside from the president's expose, a certain Peter Lim was also tagged as supplier of drugs of suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, son of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Sr.

Albuera town police chief Jovie Espenido identified Lim as Kerwin's alleged drug supplier. Esguerra also denied the allegation, describing it to be baseless.

He is confident that Lim will be cleared from all allegations in due time. Esguerra reiterated that Lim has no link to Kerwin.

"He further denies any alleged link to one Kerwin Espinosa whom he does not know and has not met ever. These reports are baseless and unfounded and only meant to sow confusion if not mislead the authorities in their investigation on his alleged involvement in the drug trade," he said.

P. Manto/FPL