Palace on dismissed raps vs. Kerwin, Peter Lim: ‘Di pa tapos ang boksing’

Self-confessed drug distributor Kerwin Espinosa and businessman Peter Lim are not yet off the hook despite the decision of Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors to dismiss the criminal complaint against them for lack of evidence, Malacañang said Tuesday.

At a press briefing, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the DOJ resolution clearing Lim, Espinosa and several others of the charge of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading is subject for review by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.

"If upon review, the DOJ finds reasons to reverse the dismissal, then it will be reversed. If however it is necessary to file additional evidence, we will prompt police authorities to do so. We will not allow a big fish to go away if there’s evidence to go after him," he said.

Roque said they "understand" the backlash caused by the dismissal even as he assured that the police can re-file the case and introduce additional evidence which may include Espinosa's admission before a Senate inquiry in November 2016 that he was indeed involved in the drug trade.

"But we need to be very careful that at this stage, that the evidence would be complete to sustain a conviction when filed before the courts," he said.

He said the Palace will "closely monitor" how the police will handle the case.

Roque also assured that the President is serious in stamping out illegal drugs.

"Siguro naman po walang kaduda-duda na seryoso ang ating Presidente dito sa giyera laban sa droga, at itong kaso pong ito, ang dismissal uulitin ko po, hindi pa po tapos ang boksing," the Palace official said. 

"Ang pangako po ng ating Presidente, eh kung kulang ang ebidensiya, dadagdagan; at kung mayroong kababalaghan, parurusahan naman ang mga responsable," he said.

Aguirre has said the dismissal of the complaint filed by the Philippine National Police was a "slight bump" on the war on drugs and a "a wake up to all concerned that our efforts, from apprehension to resolution to conviction must be concerted and thorough."

The complaint covered drug transactions from February 2013 to August 2015 involving at least 90 kilos of shabu sourced from Lim and convicted drug lord Peter Co, delivered at a grocery store in Makati City, and distributed by Espinosa's men in Bohol, Samar, Northern and Southern Leyte, Biliran and some parts of Cebu.

Specifically, 20 kilos of shabu were sourced from Co on February 5, 2013; 20 kilos from Lim on February 16, 2013; and 50 kilos from Lim on June 7, 2015.

Four similar transactions and deliveries with Lim as supplier allegedly took place in 2014 but the amount of shabu delivered was not indicated.

The complaint leaned on the testimony of Espinosa's aide, Marcelo Adorco, but the DOJ said his "uncorroborated statements" could not be used as evidence against the respondents.

The prosecutors also described Adorco as an "evidently self-serving witness." —NB, GMA News