MANILA, APRIL 1, 2011 (STAR) By Aurea Calica - Malacañang yesterday gave assurance that all efforts are being made to close the Dacer-Corbito double murder case.
"I would leave it to (Justice) Secretary (Leila) de Lima to see how she can conduct the investigation about it. The more important thing really right now is to put closure to all these matters," presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.
Lacierda, however, maintained Malacañang would not compel Sen. Panfilo Lacson to reveal the people who had helped him during his 14 months on the run.
Lacson went into hiding last year after a warrant of arrest was issued by the Manila trial court on charges of double murder for the killing of publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000.
Lacson surfaced after the Court of Appeals (CA) quashed the warrant of arrest issued by the court for lack of legal basis.
"I think we are not going into that. As far as the Palace is concerned we are not asking Senator Lacson to reveal his sources short of any compulsory process," Lacierda said.
Lacierda said the Department of Justice (DOJ) would have to do its own investigation since Lacson had refused to reveal the people who had coddled him. – With Sandy Araneta, Mike Frialde
Lacson inclined to quit politics when his term ends in 2013 03/29/2011 | 11:29 AM GMANEWS TV
After being a part of the Philippine political scene in the last 10 years, Senator Panfilo Lacson, who had been in hiding but suddenly surfaced last weekend, said he may have had enough of politics.
Lacson, who came out of hiding after the Court of Appeals (CA) junked an arrest warrant against him, said he is inclined to leave politics when his term as senator ends in 2013.
"In my present state of mind ayaw ko ng pulitika. Di ako maka-assimilate di ako maka-adjust talaga in spite of all these years," he said in an interview on dzBB radio.
(In my present state of mind I don't want politics anymore. I cannot assimilate or adjust in spite of all these years.)
"Nakasampung taon na ako ngayon, hanggang 2013 lang ako. At ayoko na rin tumakbo ... Maski pwede pa ako tumakbo ayoko na rin tumakbo sa pagka-senador," he added.
(I've been in politics for 10 years. My last term as senator ends in 2013. I am not inclined to run. Even if I could run for another term, I don't want to anymore.)
When asked if he could no longer stomach the ways of politics, he said, "Hindi ko ma-take kaya GTG na (I cannot take it anymore so I've GTG - got to go)."
Lacson: What did I get myself into?
Lacson ran for a Senate seat in 2001, shortly after former President Joseph Estrada was ousted in the wake of the EDSA-2 revolt.
After failing in his presidential bid in 2004, he managed to be elected to a second term in the Senate in 2007.
"Ang sinasabi ko parang ang pulitika parang ano ba itong napasukan ko? Maski first term ko. Kaya ako napapaginitan din dahil di traditional ang aking pamamaraan," he said.
(When I first entered politics, I asked myself, what have I gotten myself into. I had been pilloried because I was never a traditional politician.)
For now, Lacson said he plans to keep pursuing two advocacies: one against graft, and one seeking to protect innocents who are wrongly accused.
He said he has asked his staff to draft a bill protecting innocents from false accusations.
Lacson said he was a victim of such circumstances, referring to the Dacer-Corbito double-murder case where he was tagged as the mastermind.
The senator went into hiding in January 2010 after being charged for the Dacer-Corbito case. He returned only last weekend, after the Court of Appeals junked the warrant for his arrest.
"I'm sure there are thousands of fellow Filipinos rotting in jail na walang kinalaman pero wala silang means or wherewithal to prove their point na sila inosente. So bilang personal advocacy maghahanap ako ng ganoong kaso at tutulungan ko sa anumang paraan. Sinabi ko staff ko mag-draft ng bill kung saan doon ang direction, patibayin ang karapatan ng mga inosente na nakukulong," he said.
(I'm sure there are thousands of fellow Filipinos rotting in jail who do not have the means to prove their innocence. As a personal advocacy I am looking for such cases and extending help to the victims. I have asked my staff to draft a bill to bolster the rights of those wrongly accused.)
Maguindanao massacre
Also in a radio interview on Tuesday, Lacson claimed that people who wanted him linked to the Dacer-Corbito killings intended to have murder charges lodged against him before 2009 drew to a close.
However, the government's hands became tied up when the Maguindanao massacre happened on November 23, 2009.
"Actually, bago pa mag-2010 gusto na nila akong kasuhan diyan, pero nangyari iyong Ampatuan massacre," Lacson said, without elaborating who wanted him implicated in the slays.
On January 7 last year, the Department of Justice (DOJ) charged Lacson with the murders of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito.
However, the move came a little too late, as the senator had already fled the country and flew in to Hong Kong two days earlier on January 5.
On Saturday, he returned to the country from Hong Kong and on Monday gave details about how he survived living abroad incognito for 13 months, with the help of some of his friends, whom he refused to identify.
Lacson said he decided to leave the country for fear that he would be "politically harassed" under the administration of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Asked what could have motivated the previous administration to go after him for the Dacer-Corbito killings, Lacson singled out the privilege statements he had made in the past that cast doubts on the governance of Mrs. Arroyo.
He said these privilege speeches tackled controversial issues like: # the P700-million fertilizer fund scam, where agricultural funds were allegedly channeled to fuel the campaign kitty of the administration party in 2004 elections, and # the $329 million national broadband network deal with a Chinese firm, in which Mrs. Arroyo's husband, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, allegedly meddled. – with Mark Merueñas, VVP, GMA News
HERE ARE READERS' COMMENTS ON THIS GMANEWS
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PhaKeeYu 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand
Nagbago na ang aking pananaw!..Dati, kung maaari lalamutakin kita ng pinong pino!.. Pero ngayon, bumalimbing na ako, para sayo!..Tandaan mo ito, Ping! Once na ipinakita mong, kasama ka magpuksa sa mga salot ng bayan, ang aking ayuda sampu ng tribu Taruytoy at tribu Kurukan, ay nasa likod mo! Hindi para...show more show less
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Today 08:22 AM
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uliratd2sapinas 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand
To Sen.Lacson.....focus your remaining years to be one of the voices of crusade against corruptions, help Pinoy to combat the evil of graft and corruptions. show more show less
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Yesterday 06:45 PM
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uliratd2sapinas 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand
Tatagal ka sa pulitika most probably kung kaya mong kalimutan ang iyong prinsipyo sa buhay.
Ang mga pulitokong tao na makagagawa nito ay iyon po lamang sinasabi natin hindi matatakot, or those who have nothing much to loose just in case, lalu na po ang POWER at MONEY involve. show more show less
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Yesterday 06:26 PM
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Guest 2 comments collapsed Collapse Expand
when a former police chief turned senator cannot face up to the law he has sworn to uphold it makes an absolute mockery of the law. how lacson can remain as senator, even if he is innocent of the murder rap, having run rather than face his accusers reminds us...show more show less
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Yesterday 03:33 PM
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uliratd2sapinas 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand
kung baga sa segwada kaibigan ay feel na feel noon ni Sen Lacson na talagang pader na ang kanyang babangain, dala ng pangangailangan na hindi maiiwasan, kaysa tuluyan siyang ikulong at mawalang pagkakataon makalaban, pansamantala muna siyang nag disaapearing act.
bakit hindi natin hintayin patunayan naman ni Sen.Lacson ang kaniyang...show more show less
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Yesterday 06:31 PM
in reply to Guest
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Guest 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand
when a former police chief turned senator cannot face up to the law he has sworn to uphold it makes an absolute mockery of the law. how lacson can remain as senator, even if he is innocent of the murder rap, having run rather than face his accusers reminds us...show more show less
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Yesterday 03:33 PM
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Guest 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand
when a former police chief turned senator cannot face up to the law he has sworn to uphold it makes an absolute mockery of the law. how lacson can remain as senator, even if he is innocent of the murder rap, having run rather than face his accusers reminds us...show more show less
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Yesterday 03:33 PM
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PhaKeeYu 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand
As mambabatas; gagawa ka pa rin ba ng batas?..Kumplikado Ping, gagawa ka ng batas para sundin ng Tao, tapos ang gumawa hindi sumusunod?..Aah, dapat mag resign ka lang para maiwasan ang kumplikasyon! show more show less
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Yesterday 08:38 AM
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Plazans 4 comments collapsed Collapse Expand
This has always been Lacson's playbook, always portrays himself as the victim. He thinks the murder investigation is all about him, which he describes as political harrasment, and now he is wondering why Sec. De Lima seems to be in his tail. It never occured to Lacson that the case...show more
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