Sen. Lacson visits PNP, donates computers to crime lab

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson visited the Philippine National Police in its Camp Crame headquarters Friday, more than two weeks after he surfaced following the dismissal of the double murder case against him.

Lacson, a former PNP chief, donated computers to the PNP Crime Laboratory.

At the same time, Lacson talked about corruption in government, saying “Hindi nawawala yan [It does not go away].

Lacson said his experience as a former chief of the PNP has allowed him to be privy to information on corruption among his men.

“This has been going on before my time,” he revealed, citing the gasoline allocation for the chief of the PNP during his time being more than what was needed to run “100 cars a day.”

“After I left [the PNP], I do not know anymore,” Lacson said.

But what was most important, Lacson stressed, was “what was being done to address corruption.” He said that he knew of the efforts of the present leadership of the PNP to uphold reforms, as it takes its cue from the Aquino administration.

The PNP under the leadership of its chief Director General Raul Bacalzo, said Lacson, was “serious in its efforts to institutionalize reforms.”

Lacson said that it was “unfair” to the PNP to be ranked second among the most corrupt agencies in the country despite reforms to improve the police force.

The senator cited “timing” as a factor in the survey, as it was done in a time when the military was under scrutiny for irregularities in its use of funds.

Reality, according to Lacson, may differ from what was perceived by the public. He said that while there were some erring police officers, they did not represent the entire police force.

“It takes time [to fix corruption],” said Lacson, saying that it was a challenge to President Benigno Aquino III to “not only practice it but implement it,” and to have all government agencies follow suit.

Lacson hid from authorities in January 2010 after the Manila regional trial court ordered his arrest for the murders of publicist Bubby Dacer and driver, Emmanuel Corbito.

It was in February 2010 when the National Bureau of Investigation asked the Interpol to place the senator on its red notice list. His name was removed from the list March 22 after the NBI made another request that was based on a Court of Appeals ruling to nullify the arrest order.

Lacson was reported to have flown back to the Philippines on March 26, just days after his name was erased from the Interpol red notice list.