De Lima liable for contempt, fumes Lacson

MANILA, Philippines–Senator Panfilo Lacson is studying the possibility of filing charges against Justice Secretary Leila de Lima for her past statements and actions pertaining to the Dacer-Corbito double murder case.

Lacson said de Lima maybe be cited for indirect contempt when she insisted on having him arrested despite a ruling by the Court of Appeals last February ,  nullify the arrest warrant against him.

Lacson, who was implicated in the Dacer-Corbito murder case, disappeared after the arrest warrant was issued against him. He surfaced last March, or a month after the court’s ruling.

“My lawyers, after studying the matter, told me that there was basis to cite Secretary de Lima for indirect contempt for not following the decision of the CA,” the senator said in Filipino over DWIZ on Thursday.

He noted that despite the ruling, de Lima claimed in media interviews that he could still be arrested, and that they would use the testimony of his former aide, Cezar Mancao, to re-investigate the case.

It was Mancao, who directly linked the senator to the killings of publicist Bubby Dacer and driver, Emmanuel Corbito.

Lacson said his lawyers are also studying filing a case of public funds  malversation against the the Justice Secretary for simply keeping Mancao under the government’s Witness Protection Program.

“Hindi contempt kundi yung pagiging liable niya sa technical malversation of public funds (Not contempt, but she may also be charged with technical malversation of funds),” he said.

Lacson inststed that the government should not be spending for Mancao since he was not a credible witness.

The senator said  he has yet firm up with his lawyers, plans to file cases against de Lima.