By Jeffrey G. Damicog
Two of the co-respondents of alleged drug lord Peter Lim in a drug complaint were found to have been killed.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has received the returns of the subpoenas it issued and found that Max Miro and Nelson Pepito didn’t receive the subpoenas since they were already dead.
One of the returned subpoenas indicated that Pepito was killed by two unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen in Barangay Seguinon in Albuera, Leyte last December 1.
Miro, on the other hand, had been killed when police tried to arrest him during an operation at his home in Barangay Bantigue in Ormoc City, Leyte last March 10. He is facing a murder case for killing a policeman.
The DOJ sent the subpoenas to the respondents of the case to have them appear this April 12 at the start its preliminary investigation of the drug complaint.
The preliminary investigation will be conducted by a new panel of prosecutors formed by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and they are Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera, Assistant State Prosecutor Anna Norren Devanadera, and Prosecution Attorney Herbert Calvin Abugan.
Aguirre made the move after being criticized when a previous panel of prosecutors issued the Dec. 20, 2017 resolution which dismissed the drug complaint filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group’s Major Crimes Investigation Unit (PNP-CIDG-MCIU).
Under the complaint, Lim and his co-respondents are accused of violating Section 26(b) in relation to Section 5 (Sale, Trading, Administration, Dispensation, Delivery, Distribution and Transportation of Dangerous Drugs and/or Controlled Precursors and Essential Chemicals) of Republic Act 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Apart from Lim, Miro and Pepito, those who have been named as respondents in the complaint are self-confessed drug lord Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa, convicted drug lord Peter Co, alleged drug supplier Lovely Impal, arrested alleged drug dealer Marcelo Adorco, Ruel Malindangan, and several others who are only known through the aliases Amang, Ricky, Warren, Tupie, Jojo, Jaime, Yawa, Lapi, Royroy, Marlon, and Bay.