MANILA, Philippines?Fugitive Sen. Panfilo Lacson was last known to have been in Rome in Italy before he went under the tracking radar of international law enforcers.

?The latest information we got is that Lacson went there or passed by Rome. I don?t know where he is now, if he's still in Rome,? Acting Justice Secretary Alberto Agra told reporters Monday.

Agra also confirmed that Lacson had been to Hong Kong before he went to Rome.

Lacson quietly left the country in January after the Department of Justice charged him with two counts of murder for the killing of top publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000.

By the time the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 18 under then judge and now Court of Appeals Associate Justice Myra Garcia-Fernandez issued an arrest warrant against Lacson on Feb. 5, Lacson's whereabouts could no longer be established.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Nestor Mantaring earlier said he created a team to track down Lacson after the senator was last known to have been in Hong Kong.

The NBI reportedly requested the help of the Interpol to place the senator under its ?red notice? so the NBI could be alerted on any reports about Lacson's whereabouts.

?We're closely monitoring this,? Agra said.