Duterte challenges fugitive drug suspect Peter Lim
Published Feb 20, 2019 08:35 pm
By Genalyn Kabiling
President Duterte has challenged fugitive drug suspect Peter Lim not to surrender to authorities and instead just commit suicide.The President challenged Lim after vowing a “harsher” war on illegal drugs in the coming days amid the reported involvement of the Sinaloa and Medellin drug cartels in the country.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte
(TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) “Ito si Peter Lim, you know if I were you I would commit suicide. Do not ever, ever surrender to me alive because you will commit suicide. Ganun din ,” Duterte said in his speech during the signing of the universal health care law in Malacañang. “I-abbreviate mo na. At least ikaw pa magtali sa leeg mo ,” he added. Duterte warned that if Lim does not kill himself, he would put him in jail for “200 years.” He said Lim, wanted by authorities for alleged involvement in illegal drug trade, was “still active.” He admitted though that the government was unsure about the whereabouts of Lim. “Peter Lim is still active. Whether he’s in or out of the Philippines, we don’t know that for sure but the network and the money laundering of Peter Lim is very much alive. So I'm just reiterating my warning na this drug problem is a national security threat, meaning to say it can destroy the Philippines and the orders are to destroy the enemy,” Duterte said in later chance interview with reporters. Lim went missing after the Makati regional trial court issued an arrest warrant against him last year for alleged conspiracy to commit illegal drug trade in the Visayas. He supposedly left for a trip abroad in March, 2017, but has yet to return to the country. The government had earlier offered a P500,000 reward to anyone who may provide information leading to the arrest of the suspected drug lord. Back in 2016, the President held a meeting with the Cebu-based businessman and urged him to face the investigation into his alleged drug involvement. In his speech Wednesday, the President announced plans to step up the war on illegal drugs, saying he would not allow the country to become a “failed state.” “I am declaring war. I am not declaring a punitive police action. It cannot help and it would not help. So early on I decided but I think I’d be more – well I said harsher in the days to come,” he said. “I will not allow my country to be destroyed by drugs. I will not allow my country to end up a failed state because of drugs. And I am declaring war and I said I will kill anybody who stands in the way,” he added. Duterte bared that the Sinaloa and Medellin drug cartels were behind the drug trafficking in the country, citing the recent seizure of cocaine packages in the country's shores. “The news that you hear every day about the floating drugs all around the country is that really, we have confirmed that and the Medellin cartels are in the trade now. And it’s cocaine – it has always been cocaine from Mexico. “Those guys who keep on with their business of importing, be they Mexicans or Chinese or Filipino, if you continue to feed our children with drugs, there’s no way that – talagang maaabutan ko kayo at papatayin ko kayo (I catch up with you and kill you),” he said. Duterte said he was ready to accept the consequences of his war on drugs. “I’m ready for hell. But I will never, never preside over a nation that would deteriorate in my presence. Hindi ho ako diyan (I’m not for that). And I’m willing to gamble on this,” he said. “Not my country, not during the time that I am President. Ma’am, may hiya ako. Mamatay ako sa hiya. So why should I die in shame? Sila ‘yung mamatay,” he said. He said the government was committed to keep the country’s streets safe for the people. “It is for the criminals to avoid the streets. And our children and the citizens must be free anytime to use the public streets and public lands. That the citizen can go anywhere,” he said. “They must be able to travel at night safe and sound because those public streets, alleys, and public places belong to the people of the Republic of the Philippines,” he added.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte(TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) “Ito si Peter Lim, you know if I were you I would commit suicide. Do not ever, ever surrender to me alive because you will commit suicide. Ganun din ,” Duterte said in his speech during the signing of the universal health care law in Malacañang. “I-abbreviate mo na. At least ikaw pa magtali sa leeg mo ,” he added. Duterte warned that if Lim does not kill himself, he would put him in jail for “200 years.” He said Lim, wanted by authorities for alleged involvement in illegal drug trade, was “still active.” He admitted though that the government was unsure about the whereabouts of Lim. “Peter Lim is still active. Whether he’s in or out of the Philippines, we don’t know that for sure but the network and the money laundering of Peter Lim is very much alive. So I'm just reiterating my warning na this drug problem is a national security threat, meaning to say it can destroy the Philippines and the orders are to destroy the enemy,” Duterte said in later chance interview with reporters. Lim went missing after the Makati regional trial court issued an arrest warrant against him last year for alleged conspiracy to commit illegal drug trade in the Visayas. He supposedly left for a trip abroad in March, 2017, but has yet to return to the country. The government had earlier offered a P500,000 reward to anyone who may provide information leading to the arrest of the suspected drug lord. Back in 2016, the President held a meeting with the Cebu-based businessman and urged him to face the investigation into his alleged drug involvement. In his speech Wednesday, the President announced plans to step up the war on illegal drugs, saying he would not allow the country to become a “failed state.” “I am declaring war. I am not declaring a punitive police action. It cannot help and it would not help. So early on I decided but I think I’d be more – well I said harsher in the days to come,” he said. “I will not allow my country to be destroyed by drugs. I will not allow my country to end up a failed state because of drugs. And I am declaring war and I said I will kill anybody who stands in the way,” he added. Duterte bared that the Sinaloa and Medellin drug cartels were behind the drug trafficking in the country, citing the recent seizure of cocaine packages in the country's shores. “The news that you hear every day about the floating drugs all around the country is that really, we have confirmed that and the Medellin cartels are in the trade now. And it’s cocaine – it has always been cocaine from Mexico. “Those guys who keep on with their business of importing, be they Mexicans or Chinese or Filipino, if you continue to feed our children with drugs, there’s no way that – talagang maaabutan ko kayo at papatayin ko kayo (I catch up with you and kill you),” he said. Duterte said he was ready to accept the consequences of his war on drugs. “I’m ready for hell. But I will never, never preside over a nation that would deteriorate in my presence. Hindi ho ako diyan (I’m not for that). And I’m willing to gamble on this,” he said. “Not my country, not during the time that I am President. Ma’am, may hiya ako. Mamatay ako sa hiya. So why should I die in shame? Sila ‘yung mamatay,” he said. He said the government was committed to keep the country’s streets safe for the people. “It is for the criminals to avoid the streets. And our children and the citizens must be free anytime to use the public streets and public lands. That the citizen can go anywhere,” he said. “They must be able to travel at night safe and sound because those public streets, alleys, and public places belong to the people of the Republic of the Philippines,” he added.