Senator Lacson hits Justice de Lima’s ‘obsession’ with jailing him
MANILA, Philippines – Senator Panfilo Lacson questioned on Thursday what he feels is an “obsession” by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, to put him in jail.
Lacson raised the question on Thursday when queried at a weekly forum in the Senate about de Lima’s reported remark that he would be summoned to court when his former aide, Michael Ray Aquino, is extradited from the United States.
Lacson and Aquino were both linked to the killings of publicist Salavador”Buby” Dacer and driver, Emmanuel Corbito.
“Hindi ko nga rin alam kung bakit obsessesd na obsessed sya na makulong ako maski na noong araw pa ( (I don’t also know why she was so obsessed to put me in jail ,even before),” he said.
Lacson said there is no reason for him to be summoned to the hearings on the Dacer-Corbito killings, since the court had already dismissed the case against him.
“On what ground?” he asked.
While he recognized Secretary de Lima’s right to initiate a reinvestigation on the case, Lacson questioned the availability of evidence to warrant the reinvestigation.
The senator sidestepped the issue of the Dacer-Corbito charge against him, saying instead that the Secretary will have some explaining to do when she faces the Commission on Appointments over past statements which reportedly undermined President Benigno Aquino III.
He singled out de Lima’s statement that she would be dismayed should the President ignore her recommendations on the 2010 Manila hostage-crisis.
“Where in the world can you find a Cabinet member who would put her principal, or the President, on the spot?” Lacson said.
The senator also cited de Lima’s remark when she expressed hope that the President would do the right thing when then Bureau of Corrections chief Ernesto Diokno was under fire.
“She will have to explain before the Commission on Appointments her pronouncements,” he said.
“These are relevant questions, being an alter ego of the President,” the senator added.
