P.5-M reward up for Peter Lim’s arrest

The government is offering a reward of P500,000 to anyone who can give information that will lead to the arrest of alleged drug lord Peter Lim, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra announced yesterday.

Guevarra said the bounty would be given only if the information would lead to the arrest of the Cebu-based businessman.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted Lim for conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading, a non-bailable offense under Republic Act 9165, along with self-confessed drug distributor Kerwin Espinosa, Marcelo Adorco and Ruel Malindangan.

The DOJ found probable cause in the complaint filed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, which was earlier dismissed by a previous panel of prosecutors.

The PNP tagged Lim as the source of shabu allegedly sold by the group of Espinosa in Regions 7 and 8.

On Aug. 14, Judge Gina Bibat Palamos of the Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 65 issued a warrant for Lim’s arrest.

He is being hunted down by the PNP and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) . Espinosa is in the custody of the NBI. Lim was not around when authorities served a warrant for his arrest at his houses in Mabolo and Sto. Niño Village in Barangay Banilad, both in Cebu City last month.

Guevarra warned the coddlers of Lim that they could face charges of obstruction of justice for preventing the arrest of a fugitive.

The court has issued a hold departure order against Lim to prevent him from leaving the country.

Bureau of Immigration records showed that Lim has not left the country since his last trip in March.