Lacson, De Lima meet, shake hands at Senate budget hearing

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima faced each other for the first time during a budget hearing in the Senate on Tuesday.

The two had been at odds when De Lima insisted on the arrest warrant against Lacson despite the court’s dismissal of the case filed against the senator over the killings of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and driver, Emmanuel Corbito.

Lacson went into hiding for over a year and surfaced only last March after the warrant of arrest was lifted.

De Lima was at the Senate to defend the budget of her department before the committee on finance.

Before the start of the hearing, De Lima came to Lacson to shake hands with him, which the senator accepted.