MANILA, Philippines—Senator Panfilo Lacson has bewailed his continued harassment by the present administration as it goes through the last few months of President Macapagal-Arroyo’s term.

Lacson made the remarks in reaction to the complaint filed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group against him and other former PNP officers in connection with the alleged kidnap for ransom of two suspected Chinese drug traffickers in 1998 and in 1999.

He said the information involving the same set of evidence had already been dismissed years ago by the Ombudsman.

The Metro Manila unit of the CIDG filed early this week the complaint against former PNP and Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force chief Lacson, former PNP Narcotics Group head retired police officer Reynaldo Acop and several others at the Department of Justice.

“When will they stop harassing me? The same case was filed by CIDG with the DOJ several years ago using the same set of evidence,” Lacson said in a text message.

Lacson said the CIDG filed the case previously with the DOJ but the DOJ referred the case to the Ombudsman which, in turn, dismissed the case.

“The Ombudsman dismissed the case of kidnapping for ransom with serious illegal detention and instead filed an information for direct bribery against several police officials before the Sandiganbayan which is presently handling the case,” Lacson said.

“Is this administration desperately racing against time to make my life really miserable?” Lacson said.

“It is a sad commentary that the PNP, which I served well some 10 years ago, is allowing itself to be used as a tool by (President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) and her bunch of bootlickers. I have been subjected to this kind of harassment since 2001 and so far there is no letup. It is so foul a tactic, to say the least,” he added.

In a six-page letter to Acting Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera, the Metro Manila unit of the PNP-CIDG linked Lacson and Acop to the abduction of “level-one drug lords” Wong Kam Chong and Chong Hiu Ming in 1998 and in 1999.

The National Capital Region Criminal Investigation and Detention Unit based its information on the investigation started by the CIDG in 2001 to investigate the alleged crimes of the some members of the Paoctf, Narcgroup, and the PNP’s regional investigation and intelligence division in southern Tagalog.

“Among these illegal drug-related activities were the kidnapping of two suspected Chinese level-one drug lords identified as Wong Kam Chong… and Chong Hiu Ming,” read the letter signed by Senior Supt. Robert Gatlec Po, chief of the Metro Manila CIDU.

The investigation showed that the two victims were never released and are still missing “despite the payments of huge ransom demanded by PRO4-RIID officials.”

Others charged with the kidnapping of Wong in Manila in 1998 and Chong in Quezon City in 1999 were Supt. Francisco Villaroman, Supt. Teofilo Andarada, Senior Insp. Dennis Tuvera, Chief Insp. Avelino Abogado, Senior Insp. Cesar Aquino, SPO3 Mabini Rosale, SPO2 Cresencio Purugganan, Ralph Frivaldo, Ricardo Watanabe, Jay Ramirez, SPO2 Antonio Ventura, SPO1 Danilo Castro, SPO3 Noel Almerino and lawyer Evaristo Gana.

Also included in the complaint were former Senio Supt. Michael Ray Aquino and the late Supt. John Campos.