Aguirre defends drug matrix over Peter Lim-Jaguar ‘mix-up’

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Saturday defended the "drug matrix" that identified alleged Cebu drug lord  Peter Lim also as "Jaguar" who was killed last June 18.

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, Aguirre said "'Yung sinasabi nila na maaring mali na naman yung drug matrix, 'di tama yun... Ang totoo, yung Peter Lim na alyas Jaguar, siya rin yung nakausap ni Presidente Rodrigo Duterte at siya rin yung nagpunta sa National Buereau of Investigation."

Asked if the drug matrix was wrong on Peter Lim, he said, "Walang mali sa matrix in so far as Peter Lim is concerned ... siya talaga si Peter Lim na nakipagkita kay presidente ... at nagpunta sa NBI at kasama si Usec. Ramon Esguerra."

Earlier, Aguirre said "Jaguar" was actually Jeffrey Diaz, the suspected Central Visayas drug lord who was killed in a police operation in Las Piñas on June 18.

He also said that Peter Lim was positively identified in the matrix.

In the dzBb interview, Aguirre said that Lim might have also used "Jaguar" as alias.

"'Di naman importante yung alias, eh. Assuming na gumagamit siya ng alias paminsan-minsan na Jaguar ... the fact is, si Peter Lim na 'yan ay talagang natunton na ng NBI na iisang tao lamang, yung nakipagkita sa Presidente.

The credibility of the supposed drug matrices has been questioned after President Duterte apologized to Pangasinan Rep. Amado Espino Jr and two others, who were falsely linked to the illegal drug trade in another matrix released sometime in August.

Incidentally, the drug matrix came out on July 7, after "Jaguar" (Jeffrey Diaz) was killed.

Also in the radio interview, Aguirre insisted that the Peter Lim-Jaguar mix-up would not affect the credibility of a third drug matrix Duterte would soon make public.

"I don't think makakaapekto ng malaki 'yan... maliit na bagay lang yung tungkol sa alias. Anybody could use it, especially yung tunay na gumagamit ng alias eh namatay na, he said.

"Makailang beses niyang pina-verify 'yan. In other words na-check ang authenticity sa third narco list. Kaya hopefully magiging credible 'yan, this week baka ilabas na 'yan, kasi meron kaming Cabinet meeting on October 3," Aguirre added.

Gather more evidence 

Now that Peter Lim's links to the illegal drug trade have already been established, Aguirre said the next step is to gather more evidence for the purpose of filing charges against Lim before the Department of Justice.

"Kasi dapat talagang magcase build up tayo. During the last six years walang dinedemanda na malalaking drug lord. Naiintindihan natin nasa kanila ang lakas, nasa kanila ang pera, nasa kanila ang armas, kaya it is only now after the assumption of President Duterte that we are gathering this evidence for the purpose of filing against these people," he said.

He added that Reynaldo "Jumbo" Diaz, a cousin and alleged bagman of the slain drug lord, was admitted to the Witness Protection Program so he could give information necessary to the cases being prepared by the government against drug operators and their protectors, especially in Cebu.

Police nabbed Jumbo in Matnog town in Sorsogon last September 17, along with six armed personnel of the DOJ, due to a standing arrest warrants for drugs, murder, and frustrated murder cases.

Aguirre later on explained to the police that Jumbo is a government witness. —Virgil Lopez/LBG, GMA News