MANILA, Philippines–“Ang akala ko nga magaling na, yun pala may sira pa (I thought she’s already well, but she’s still ill).”
This was how Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson fired back at Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who had threatened to expose his “sins” and true sexuality.
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and senator Panfilo Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
“Ang ginawa ko noong mabalitaan o yung tungkol sa interview, lumabas ako ng building tumingin ako sa taas at tsinetsek ko yung buwan kung bilog pa. E mukhang hindi pa naman todo ang bilog,” Lacson said in an interview over Radyo Inquirer 990AM on Thursday.
(So what I did after I learned the news about her interview, I went out of the building, I looked up and checked if it was full moon. It looked like the moon has not yet reached its full phase.)
In the same radio interview Wednesday, Santiago insinuated on Lacson’s sexuality when she called him “Pinky” Lacson.
But Lacson quickly denied that he is gay. In fact, he said, he was far from being a homosexual.
And while he said he did not want to engage in a verbal tussle with Santiago as it might boomerang on the Senate as an institution, Lacson said he also had to defend his honor.
“ It’s a choice now between projecting yourself as isa sa magandang imahen para sa sambayanan o pagde-defend naman ng sarili mong honor, sarili mong dignidad (with a good image for the people or in defending your honor or dignity). I chose the latter,” he said.
“Kasi kung hindi ako kikibo, tinawag nya akong bakla e baka maniwala naman ang tao na ako’y bakla. Kaya pinagdidiinan ko na sorry na lang sya, madi-disappoint sya dahil lalaking-laki ako. Straight ako at wala akong intensiyon na maging bakla. No offense to all the gays of the world…”
(If I kept silent and she called me gay people might believe that. That’s why I pointed out that she would be disappointed because I’m a man. I’m straight and don’t intend to be one.)
Lacson though admitted in jest in a text message to reporters that he was “under de saya (led around by wife).”
“My problem is hindi nga ako bading pero under de saya naman (I’m no gay but a man led around by my wife),” he said when he cancelled his guesting at a weekly forum in the Senate this Thursday to join his wife in Baguio City.
“Lahat naman actually kami ganun. Yung ayaw umamin, sinungaling ,” Lacson added.
In the radio interview, Lacson slammed Santiago’s threat that she would use her parliamentary immunity to shred him to pieces.
Santiago also said she would sue Lacson for libel should he hit back at her.
Lacson said the power given to a government official should be used to serve the public and not to abuse or oppress other people.
“Sa lahat ng wala akong respeto, yung tao na nilalabanan ay yung mas mababang uri sa kanya, yung hindi kapantay ng kanyang kapangyarihan. Hinahangaan ko yung tao na lumalaban sa kanyang kapantay at mas mataas sa kanya,” he said.
(I have no respect to those who use their superior position to shame low-ranking people. I admire people who denigrate the powerful.)
On the Senate fund controversy, Lacson insisted that Santiago may have violated the law when she used the government money to pay for the rent of her satellite office in Quezon City.
No less than Santiago and the rest of her family members, he said, were incorporators of Narsan Holding, a company that owned the building in question.
Lacson said after reading Republic Act 3019 (link: https://www.doj.gov.ph/files/3019.pdf), he believes Santiago can be nailed.
Lacson did not buy Santiago’s explanation that she had sought the opinion of the Senate Secretariat about the rent of her office.
“Ang ibig bang sabihin kung meron syang gustong barilin, magtatanong sya sa Senate Secretariat? Pwede ko bang barilin ito? Pag sinabi ng Senate Secretariat: ‘Pwede po, ma’am.’ Babarilin na nya?”
(Does it mean that if she wants to shoot something she would ask the Senate Secretariat about it? Can I shoot this? If the Senate Secretariat says yes then she will shoot it?)