MANILA, APRIL 1, 2011 (TRIBUNE) Both Malacañang and Sen. Panfilo Lacson deny that there was a deal between them, after his arrest warrant was voided, and his freedom restored, for him to return home. Lacson also said in interviews, that even as he considers himself still an ally of Noynoy Aquino, this will no bearing on his vote on the Ombudsman's case for trial in the Senate.
Yet Noynoy is known to make a move politically whenever he wants to have something under his control. Recall the time when his partymates wanted to get the Senate presidency, but were short of numbers. It was then that Noynoy suddenly wanted then detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes freed and able to join the Senate voting. In the end of course, the Senate presidency went to Juan Ponce-Enrile, while Noynoy came up with the amnesty decree.
Despite denials from both camps, however, the same style appears to have taken shape again. Everyone knows just how obsessed Noynoy is in having the Ombudsman convicted and ousted by the Senate and he and the Liberal Party plus his allies, need the numbers, which probably explains the return of Lacson.
But was it only the Court of Appeals voiding of the arrest warrant with which Lacson was helped along?
It has not escaped public notice that despite all the grandstanding of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and her agencies in running after Lacson and staging raids of alleged safehouses, they always came up with absolutely nothing all those months. They did not know of his whereabouts, merely saying that the last time Lacson was sighted was in Rome. Not even placing the then fugitive senator on the Interpol's red list yielded anything.
There De Lima, who is probably running for a Senate seat, went again, daring Lacson to bare who were his coddlers and protectors and tell her who he suspects is the brains behind the Dacer-Corbito murders, and brings up the "Bigote" factor, vowing to reinvestigate the case, just as she vowed to investigate the Vizconde murder case and twice came up with absolutely nothing despite her claims of having had a breakthrough.
And even today, neither the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), nor immigration, nor the airport police can explain how Lacson was able to enter the country from Hong Kong with a travel document that was not issued by the different Philippine consulates abroad.
Just which DFA official would dare tell the consulate in the Hong Kong to issue travel documents to Lacson that would not be traceable to the consulate, unless there were orders to do so from someone really high up?
Just which consular officer would dare issue travel documents, in the case of Lacson, without first alerting home office and getting permission first? While it is true that travel documents can be issued to Filipinos for their return home, in cases of their loss of passport, the fact is that Lacson's was no ordinary case. His passports were claimed to have been canceled, which may not have been done at all, except in press releases.
To this day, according to news reports, Lacson, who passed through the VIP/diplomat's immigration counter, was met at the airport by the Alien Registration Division chief, Danilo Almeda, and that immigration is hard pressed to explain the reason behind this.
The only conclusion that can be had is that Lacson carried a different and foreign passport. Chinese perhaps, and one that could afford him to get out of Mainland China and into Hong Kong while faking the travel document?
No one passes through the alien registration office, unless one has dual citizenship, and in any case, the immigration officer in any country merely stamps the twin passports, to state the dual status, as it is not a crime to have dual citizenship for Filipinos.
But it would be extremely difficult for a senator who was on the lam for close to one and half years to make it public that he carries two nationalities, which is probably why he was met by the alien registration chief.
All those clandestine moves from Noynoy government officials can only mean one thing: They all were under instruction from the top.
No different really, from the days of the Arroyo regime in relation to Virgilio "Garci" Garcillano's escapade and return.
TRIBUNE COMMENTARY
Wrong portrayal FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 03/31/2011
There went the Palace again, after the execution of three drug mules in China, vowing to "break the chain of victimization," and again laying full blame on the recruiters of these Filipino overseas workers while painting the OFWs condemned to jail and death in China and elsewhere as "sacrificial pawns."
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said "we are resolved to ensure that the chain of victimization, as pushers entrap and destroy lives in pursuit of their trade, will be broken. Those who traffic in illegal drugs respect no laws, no boundaries, and have no scruples about destroying lives."
That's crap and playing up to the gallery while washing government's hands off its own incompetence and gross inaction against corrupt government officers and officials who allow these OFWs to leave the country with smuggled drugs.
Besides, if this government really bleeds for these "sacrificial pawns," the government itself has pretty harsh penalties for drug traffickers and addicts here when caught with the drugs — even if death is not the penalty.
Government goes hard on the small time shabu user and drug trafficker, but has anybody heard of government going after the wealthy drug users and even traffickers, say the sons and daughters of the elite in society, the movie stars and the fashion circles as well as some members of Congress, or within the executive branch itself?
Sure, government can run after the recruiters of these OFWs turned drug mules, but just what evidence does it have that is strong enough to prove that these recruiters asked these OFWs to smuggle out the drugs and for no doubt, a hefty payment?
It takes two to tango, it is always said. For whatever reason these OFWs, the dead and those who are still facing a death sentence for drug trafficking, while their recruiters may have asked them to smuggle the drugs and deliver them to wherever, the fact is that the drug mules did know that which they were doing was illegal — whether just smuggling them out of Philippine Customs or bringing the drugs to China or other countries with the death penalty for drug traffickers.
These drug mules couldn't have been that guillible not to have known that they were smuggling drugs and for a fee. Chances are, even the Customs people were bribed into allowing these drug mules to leave with the drugs. The X-rays for the luggage would have easily spotted the package — with some of these weighing seven kilos, but those who are supposed to check their luggage and search the bodies looked the other way.
The three Filipino drug mules were executed for their crime. But why isn't the Noynoy government clamping down on the Customs police for having allowed Filipinos with the smuggled drugs leaving the country?
In much the same way, Rep. Ronald Singson left the country with cocaine and obviously, the Customs people manning the X-rays and patting people leaving the country, must have known he was in possession of drugs — yet he left the country with the smuggled cocaine. He wasn't caught here, but was caught in Hong Kong, but he left the country with the drugs.
Also being blamed here is hardly the government's laxity with smugglers — drugs, guns or otherwise — but poverty, which is claimed to make these poor OFWs vulnerable to agreeing to become drug mules.
So sorry, but poverty should not be used to excuse away those who have been caught with the smuggled drugs. If such is the excuse, then why doesn't the government also excuse those drug addicts from poor families and their pushers here at home, who are obviously also mired in poverty? Why are we seeking clemency and freedom for those Filipinos who commit crimes abroad, whether it be murder, smuggling or any other major crime, but not treat the Filipinos here at home in the same manner?
And what are the Labor department, the POEA, the OWWA, the Pdea and even the migrant groups doing to at least educate and warn the OFWs leaving for foreign shores of the crimes and penalties they will have to face?
It is time for government to stop portraying these OFWs who are in jail and convicted of major crimes as victims, and lay all blame on recruiters yet absolve itself from its inaction and incompetence.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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