Malacañang to Peter Lim: ‘Please surrender’

WEDDING COSPONSORS President Duterte and Peter Lim were cosponsors at a 2016 wedding in Cebu City.

Malacañang on Thursday appealed to suspected drug lord and now fugitive Peter Lim to surrender to authorities.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said: “We’re asking Peter Lim, please surrender. If you are innocent, prove your innocence in court. You will be given your day in court.”

Roque assured Lim that the country has “competent” courts, thus, he should surrender and not fear about being a victim of injustice.

Authorities have launched a manhunt for Lim after a Makati City Regional Trial Court ordered for his arrest following the move of the Department of Justice to indict him and three other persons for conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading. The Cebu businessman was nowhere to be found in the addresses he has earlier provided authorities.

But Roque said the government has still no information on whether Lim has already left the country.

He also made it clear that President Rodrigo Duterte does not know Lim personally, and that the only occasion where the Chief Executive and Lim were together was when they stood as sponsors during a wedding in Cebu City in 2016.   /kga