MANILA - Suspected drug lord Peter Lim on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to stop the Department of Justice (DOJ) from investigating charges against him, co-accused Kerwin Espinosa, and other respondents.

Lim, in a petition filed by his lawyers, said the DOJ committed grave abuse of discretion when it reopened an investigation against them even as state prosecutors earlier dropped the drug charges.

"The DOJ acted with grave abuse of discretion, amounting to lack or excess of its jurisdiction, when it issued the assailed order and resolution, which set aside the first panel of prosecutors' resolution solely based on 'nationwide uproar' and 'public outrage,'" the petition read.

DOJ prosecutors earlier cleared Lim, Espinosa and their other co-accused from drug charges citing insufficient evidence presented by the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

This move was widely criticized as Espinosa had already admitted his involvement in the drug trade in the Eastern Visayas region. Even President Rodrigo Duterte slammed the DOJ for its move.

• Duterte fumes at dismissal of charges vs drug-linked Kerwin Espinosa, Peter Lim

Amid uproar over the ruling and his other controversial statements, then Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II resigned, with Menardo Guevarra appointed in his place. The existing case against Lim and Espinosa are now being handled by the Office of the Solicitor General.

• Espinosa asks DOJ to junk drug raps anew

In a text message to reporters, Guevarra said the DOJ is ready to defend its resolution before the high court.

“The DOJ welcomes the filing of the petition and is ready to defend its actions before the SC (Supreme Court),” he said. -- report from Ina Reformina, ABS-CBN News