Peter Lim is in Cebu—lawyer
CEBU CITY—Contrary to online posts and reports, Cebu businessman Peter Lim hasn’t left the country since he met with President Rodrigo Duterte last July 15.
“What I can say is Peter Lim is in Cebu. I had dinner with him last Sept. 12,” said his Cebuano lawyer Pedro Leslie Salva in an interview.
READ: Peter Lim in Cebu
Asked if Lim flew to Hong Kong as claimed in some online posts, Salva replied: “What I can say is he never travelled abroad (since he met with President Duterte).”
On reports that Lim was recently seen dining with a supporter of President Duterte at Anzani restaurant, at Nivel Hills in Cebu City, Salva said he has no idea.
“I do not know about that. Perhaps, that is just a rumor aimed at putting my client in a controversy,” he said.
Salva refused to comment on Lim’s relationship with Cebuano businessman Fernando “Ding” Borja, the owner of Adnama Building and a supporter of President Duterte.
President Duterte had identified a certain Peter Lim as among the big-time drug lords in the country.
When Borja’s daughter Amanda got married in June, both Duterte and Lim stood as primary sponsors.
Last July 15, the Lim personally met with Duterte in Davao City to clear his name.
READ: ‘Kumpares’ Lim, Duterte stood as sponsors in their friend’s daughter’s wedding
Lim denied that he was the alleged Chinese-Filipino drug dealer alluded to in police intelligence reports.
He appeared before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Manila last July 21 as advised by Duterte.
Lim, 69, was the same person that the House of Representatives committee on dangerous drugs investigated in 2001 for the same allegations.
But the committee found no sufficient evidence to prove the accusations.
The NBI has formed a special task force that would focus on Lim’s case.
Joel Tovera, head of the Bureau’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Division, headed the investigation.
Director General Isidro Lapeña of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-7) had said that the Cebuano businessman was on their target list. RAM/rga
