Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II ordered the scrapping of the dismissal of drug-related charges against alleged drug lords and distributors Peter Co, Kerwin Espinosa, and Peter Lim, among others.
The order stated that the case is currently “wide open for both parties — the complainants and the respondents — to file whatever evidences they have in support of their respective position.”
“So I issued a department order yesterday vacating the dismissal of the case so much so that there is no dismissal anymore,” Aguirre said.
The creation new panel tasked to review the initial decision that freed the alleged drug distributors of the crime was also included in the order.
Earlier, Aguirre blamed weak evidence submitted by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) for the dismissal of the charges.
The CIDG admitted they did not include the confession of Kerwin Espinosa before the Senate in their complaint saying that Espinosa refused to cooperate with the authorities when they attempted to talk to him.
Espinosa’s refusal to cooperate pushed CIDG to use Espinosa’s bodyguard and driver, Marcelo Adorco, as their prime witness.
President Rodrigo Duterte has also expressed his dismay over the dismissal and confronted Aguirre regarding the decision.
