Lacson has no doubt on Duterte’s info on 5 generals

Panfilo Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

RETURNING Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday said he had no doubt on the validity of the information of President Duterte in naming five police generals allegedly involved in illegal drug operations, especially when he had heard the same information on two names there.

In text messages, Lacson said during the campaign period he heard from former subordinates in the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force, who at the time were seriously involved in anti-drug operations in their areas, the names of the two police generals.

He declined to identify the two police generals as he had not validated the information.

” All I’m saying is, since the President himself mentioned those two names among the five, he  must have good basis in what he divulged, especially if he had a different source of that  information,” Lacson said.

He insisted that “the commander-in-chief, more than anybody in this country, is in the best position to have access to all these vital and sensitive information and I have no reason to doubt or question its validity.”

Other senators did not comment on the five identified police generals.

Sen. Gregorio Honasan said “names are immaterial” as he underscored the importance for authorities to observe due process and the rule of law.

“And while there is no final verdict yesterday, they should not be subjected to trial by publicity because the children and family who are not involved here are affected,” Honasan said.

Incoming Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III lauded the presidential move.

“Wow. Great job by the President,” Pimentel said.

Incoming Sen. Vicente Sotto III said President Duterte’s intelligence information “must be A-1 for him to have done that.”

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