Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Thursday dared Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to initiate the issuance of a warrant of arrest against any member of the Arroyo family in exchange of his support to her confirmation.
“I have a continuing objection against her confirmation and this much I can tell her or I can tell you, the moment she [De Lima] files or she causes the issuances of arrest against any of the Arroyos, then I will withdraw my objection baka ako pa ang mag move sa kanyang confirmation [I might even move for her confirmation],” Lacson said during a weekly forum in the Senate on n Thursday.
“But you know, it’s been 14 months wala naman syang ginagawa [that she hasn’t done anything]. E araw-araw naman nagpre-presscon sya parang maraming ginagawa pero yung mga mas importanteng dapat gawin hindi nya ginagawa [And it’s everyday that she holds a press con as if she’s doing a lot when actually, she isn’t doing anything],” he said.
“Don’t you think we should all take her to task on this matter kasi walang nangyayari e [because nothing’s happening]. Hindi naman maso-solve ang problem sa press release e [The problem can’t be resolved by a press release]. Maso-solve lang ang problema pag nagtrabaho ang isang secretary [The problem can only be solved if the secretary works],” he added.
It was Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV, who first criticized De Lima for her alleged failure to do her job after 14 months in office. He then called for De Lima’s resignation.
Like Trillanes, Lacson also enumerated a list of anomalies (like the national broadband network controversy, the alleged massive cheating, the Jose Pidal accounts, the jueteng gate scandal, the alleged misuse of funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office) which were investigated by Congress but have not been pursued in courts.
“The thing is, pag kinalkal yung tabon ng bawat katiwalian dito sa ating bansa tiyak na may makikita tayong tatak [if we dig through every corruption in our country, I am certain that there will be the mark of] Arroyo underneath. In short, we try to scratch the surface of corruption in the Philippines and we will find an Arroyo underneath and it’s a statement of fact.
And Lacson is wondering why the only thing that De Lima, after 14 months in office, could do was put former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo on the government’s watchlist, which was later stopped by the court.”
“She only went as far as the watchlist order which even got a TRO [Temporary Restraining Order] from the Supreme Court. So why is it that until now, despite all her pronouncements, she hasn’t filed a single case,” said Lacson.