The Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) issued on Friday a hold departure order (HDO) against businessman and alleged drug lord Peter Lim in connection with the drug charges filed by the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Acting Presiding Judge Gina Bibat-Palamos of the Makati RTC Branch 65 granted the motion filed by a panel of prosecutors led by Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera with Anna Noreen Devanadera and associate prosecution lawyer Herbert Calvin Abugan.

The prosecution earlier had obtained the court’s nod directing the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to prevent Lim from leaving the country.

“The Bureau of Immigration is hereby ordered to prevent or hold the departure from the country of accused, Peter Go Lim, who has the following personal information:

Age: 72 years old; date of birth: February 22, 1946; place of birth: City of Manila, Philippine Passport: EC0154608. Lim’s last known address is listed as No. 12 Tres Borces Extension, Barangay Kasambangan, Mabolo, Cebu City. The HDO shall remain effective until otherwise ordered and canceled by the court,” the two-page order signed by Judge Palamos dated 17 August, said.

Palamos issued a warrant of arrest against Lim along with self-confessed drug lord Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa, his arrested associate Marcelo Adorco and Ruel Malindangan last Tuesday.

They are facing two counts of the non-bailable offense of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trade in violation of Section 26(b) in relation to Section 5, Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Their arraignment was set on 28 August at 1:30 p.m.

Espinosa is already in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) while Adorco is with the Philippine National Police (PNP). Lim remains at large.

Apart from the charges, state prosecutors also filed criminal complaints against Espinosa, Adorco and Malindagan, alleged drug supplier Lovely Impal and convicted drug lord Peter Co after the panel of prosecutors led by Navera indicted them based on the complaint of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).

The charges pertained to two counts of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trade filed at the Manila RTC and another on the same violation at the Makati RTC.

Navera’s is the second panel of prosecutors to charge Lim and three others with two counts of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trade in violation of Section 26(b) in relation to Section 5, Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 on the complaint filed by PNP-CIDG.

Lim’s defense that he is not alias “Jaguar” was considered immaterial by state prosecutors as both Espinosa and Adorco identified him in all their illegal drug transactions.