No judgeship for prosecutor had Duterte known he cleared Kerwin, Peter Lim —Palace

President Rodrigo Duterte wouldn't have appointed Judge Aristotle Reyes to the bench if he knew that he cleared confessed drug dealer Kerwin Espinosa and businessman Peter Lim of the drug raps filed against them, Malacañang said on Thursday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the remark amid insinuations linking the recent dismissal of the complaints to the erstwhile state prosecutor's appointment as judge at the Lucena Regional Trial Court.

"I don’t think so. And it’s farfetched," Roque said when asked about the supposed link.

"If at all, if the President knew that he cleared these individuals, he probably would not have been appointed. So I think the question has a wrong premise," ha added.

Reyes was also a member of the investigating panels that cleared former Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon of involvement in the importation of the P6.4-billion shabu shipment from China in May last year.

Reyes was named judge by President Rodrigo Duterte on September 21, 2017. His appointment paper was transmitted by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on January 17 this year.

He took his oath on February 2 before Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio.

In a phone interview with reporters, Reyes said his promotion was based on merit.

He also said the appointment was made while the preliminary investigation on the Espinosa's case was ongoing. —NB, GMA News