President Rodrigo Duterte will invoke his control and supervisory powers over the justice department in a bid to overturn dismissal of the drug charges against alleged drug lords Peter Lim and Kerwin Espinosa.

“I will invoke my power of supervision and control and will review dismissal,” Duterte said in his joint command conference with the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines at Malacanang on Tuesday evening.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr quoted Duterte that the president warned Justice Secretary Vitalano Aguirre II he will put Aguirre in jail if Lim and Espinosa are not placed behind bars.

"If Lim and Espinosa go free, I will put him (Aguirre) in jail instead. I can review that dismissal order. He ( Espinosa) admitted it in Congress! Why not admit it as evidence against him?,” Duterte said.

Aguirre had formed a new investigation panel to review case against Lim and Espinosa, said Roque.

Earlier Aguirre said Lim and Espinosa are not yet off the hook.

"Suffice it to say that the current status of the case against respondents Peter Lim et al does not mean that it is a final exoneration of their respective criminal liabilities. Under our present procedure in the DOJ, there are possible avenues to review this case, whether by a motion for reconsideration, or ultimately, by way of automatic review by my office," Aguirre said in a statement. DMS