DOJ reverses order, indicts Kerwin Espinosa, Peter Co

FILE: Kerwin Espinosa (PNA Photo)

After the Department of Justice (DOJ) previously cleared Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa, Peter Co, and others from their criminal cases related to illegal drug trade, the department through the Office of the Prosecutor General reversed this order on July 19, Thursday.

The Justice Department found a probable cause to formally file charges against Espinosa, Co, Marcelo Adorco, Lovely Impal, and Ruel Malindagan.

“In its resolution, the prosecution panel composed of Senior Assistant State Prosecutors Juan Pedro C. Navera, Anna Noreen T. Devanadera, and Prosecution Attorney Herbert Calvin P. Abugan found sufficient the positive allegations of Marcelo Adorco identifying Espinosa, Co, Impal, and Malindagan as his cohorts to charge the with conspiracy to commit illegal drug trade,” DOJ’s press statement read.

It added, “The panel explained that under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading is an offense distinct from drug trading. It clarified that the agreement to trade in drugs is the gravamen of such an offense. The drugs themselves as corpus delicti of the drug trading is not necessary under Section 26 (B) of the law.”

However, Peter Go Lim, a Cebu-based businessman who was one of the previously charged persons in the drug case is not included in the said resolution by the DOJ because he filed a motion to be investigated separately. The Justice panel earlier granted this which makes his case pending.

Earlier, on March 12 this year, the Justice Department cleared the criminal raps against Espinosa and others for lack of evidence.

[READ: DOJ junks drug complaints vs Peter Lim, others]

This March decision added that other law enforcement agencies can file cases against the mentioned individuals if are “indeed involved in illegal drug activities.”

The dismissal of the drug charges caused an uproar among lawmakers, groups, the public, and even President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

These developments in the Justice Department soon led to the former Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II’s resignation – replaced by incumbent Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.