World | Philippines
Manila mayor says son must face consequences of alleged drug crime
Mayor Alfredo Lim said he will let justice take its course and will not lift a finger to get his 44-year-old son off the hook after the latter was caught selling prohibited substance in a sting operation Friday.
- By Gilbert Felongco, Correspondent
- Published: 00:41 March 18, 2008
Manila: Mayor Alfredo Lim said he will let justice take its course and will not lift a finger to get his 44-year-old son off the hook after the latter was caught selling prohibited substance in a sting operation Friday.
"He is already old enough to know right from wrong. He is already a grown up person," Lim was quoted by reports as saying after his son, Manuel Santos-Lim, and two of his accomplices, were caught by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents after a botched drug deal in the capital.
"It has been my philosophy in life not to interfere in such cases. If it will be proven that my son violated the law, then so be it. He should be man enough to face it," he added.
Lim had gained both fame and notoriety in the past for his unconventional approach to tackling the capital's problem of illegal drugs. He said he will not even provide his son a lawyer to defend himself in court.
Life sentence
On Friday evening, Manuel, along with Ronald D. Pascual, 38, and Joel Sabado, 33, were caught in the act of trying to sell to an undercover PDEA agent, 100 grams of powdered crystalline Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, locally known as shabu.
The transaction took place at the lobby of the Pharaoh Hotel in the capital's Santa Cruz district. PDEA chief Dionisio Santiago said prior to the arrest, he had already warned Lim that authorities are poised to pounce on his son, a businessman.
The mayor said he did not know that his son was engaged in the illegal drug trade. He said he had not spoken to the latter for months.
However, he pointed out that Manuel has a family problem.
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