MANILA, Philippines—By his own admission, Sen. Panfilo Lacson has flown the coop.

But the senator, who is facing charges in connection with the November 2000 murders of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito, disclaimed guilt, saying he left the country because he did not want to fall prey to an “evil conspiracy” purportedly hatched by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“This is one case that I will dispute the argument ‘flight is an indication of guilt,’” Lacson Tuesday said in a text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer and in a subsequent statement he issued to other media outfits.

“I am not guilty but I cannot risk putting my life and security at the mercy of that evil conspiracy,” he said.

Lacson, who has not been seen at the Senate since Congress resumed session on Jan. 18, was apparently compelled to break his silence after Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan told reporters that he had been put on the watch list.

Being on the Bureau of Immigration watch list means that authorities have to be notified of one’s arrival or departure.

Lacson said Libanan’s announcement confirmed what he had “correctly suspected”—that the “harassment” by the Department of Justice (DoJ) “upon the order of Malacañang will never stop.”

“That’s exactly the reason I left the country. I am a victim of a conspiracy of whispers between Ms Arroyo and her stooge in the DoJ,” Lacson said.

Earlier Tuesday, Libanan said Lacson was put on the watch list a week after he flew to Hong Kong on a Cathay Pacific Airlines flight on Jan. 5.

“He has not yet returned home,” Libanan said of the senator, adding that it would be difficult for the bureau to find out his final destination.

“Whenever the DoJ is investigating a case, it requests us to place certain people in our watch list,” Libanan said.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said Lacson sought and secured travel authority from his office before Christmas.

Enrile provided no details except to say that Lacson’s travel authority had since lapsed, which was why he was now being marked absent in the chamber.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. told reporters that as early as last week, he heard that Lacson had flown to Australia.

Pimentel said he did not know why Lacson would fly to that country.

Not yet a fugitive

The DoJ filed murder charges against Lacson on Jan. 7 on the strength of the sworn statement of his former police aide, Cezar Mancao II.

In his affidavit, Mancao said he had heard Lacson, the then chief of the Philippine National Police under then President Joseph Estrada, order the killing of Dacer on the orders of someone he only identified as “Bigote (Moustache).”

Lacson has repeatedly denied involvement in the murders and has since insinuated that Estrada might be involved.

In a news conference Tuesday, Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera told reporters that Lacson had yet to be declared a fugitive.

“Right now, he’s still a tourist,” she said, but added that the Interpol would be alerted if a warrant were issued for Lacson’s arrest.

Devanadera said criminal information had already been filed in court against Lacson.

She said it had been two weeks since the Manila court held a hearing on the determination of probable cause, and that she was expecting the warrant to be issued this week.

“I don’t see why a warrant won’t be issued,” Devanadera said, expressing confidence in the case that state prosecutors had presented to the court.

Political rendition

Lacson reiterated that Malacañang was “harassing” him because of his exposes against the Arroyo administration—“from the Jose Pidal scandal, ‘jueteng’ payola, ‘Hello Garci’ election cheating controversy, to the ZTE and fertilizer scam and many more abuses committed by Mr. and Ms Arroyo against the Filipino people…”

He said authorities were using “the most tenuous of evidence to justify their own interpretation of probable cause” in order to “satisfy their political vendetta…”

Lacson said he had heard that the judge trying the double murder case “is one who does not easily succumb to pressure and is a stickler for rules.”

He said he continued to hope that the judge would remain so and would decide the case fairly.

“For now, my concern is my own personal safety and security,” Lacson said.

“I will not allow Ms Arroyo and her cohorts in the DoJ the pleasure of seeing my life miserable and in danger,” he said.

‘I’d do the same’

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago told reporters Lacson had left the country “to avoid being picked up in the middle of the night.”

Asked if it was wise for Lacson to stay away, Santiago said: “Well, that depends. Jails in the Philippines are not exactly home sweet home. There is real jeopardy that you might be subjected to violence by people who delight in harassing new inmates.”

“If I were Senator Lacson, I would do the same thing,” Santiago later said with a chuckle, issuing the reminder that murder was a non-bailable offense.

Enrile said he received a letter from Lacson on Jan. 18 stating that he could not attend the sessions.

Asked if he would advise Lacson to face the charges, Enrile said: “He should do it. I’m sure he’d do it.”

Pimentel said Lacson’s presence was “crucial,” especially because the Senate was expected to vote Tuesday on the committee report against Sen. Manuel Villar in connection with the C-5 road extension controversy.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada agreed with Pimentel and added that Lacson “has to face the music.”

“If he has nothing to hide, I’d advise him to come out in the open and not to fear anything,” Jinggoy Estrada also said.

When told that Lacson had described the charges as political harassment, he said he would rather not comment on the other senator’s opinion.

Ivler, not Lacson

Before announcing that Lacson was now on the immigration watch list, Libanan said a hold-departure order had also been issued against him because there was already a warrant for his arrest.

But when pressed by the media, Libanan corrected himself on the advice of an aide who was beside him during the ambush interview at the Senate.

He apologized to reporters and said he was talking about the case of road rage suspect Jason Ivler. With a report from Norman Bordadora