MANILA, Philippines—Lying witnesses, beware.
In an apparent bid to get back at his detractors, Sen. Panfilo Lacson has filed a bill seeking to punish “lying witnesses” allegedly used to send “many innocent people to jail for crimes they did not commit.”
Senate Bill No. 2803, which the erstwhile fugitive senator filed after finally surfacing in March, makes good on Lacson’s promise to go after false witnesses.
Under his proposed bill, a P1-million fine will be slapped on a false witness.
Government officials or prosecutors inducing false witnesses also face perpetual disqualification from holding any position in government or its agencies.
Lacson was accused of masterminding the murders of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in 2000. Anticipating an arrest warrant, he fled the country and went into hiding.
“False testimonies and sworn statements are sometimes being used to support malicious complaints with the intent of harassing and persecuting innocent persons,” he said.