Lacson on De Lima’s trip: She should not emulate me . . . she’ll likely get caught

Senator Leila de Lima and Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

Come back. Don’t be a fugitive.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said on Monday that was what he told Sen. Leila de Lima in jest when she informed him last week that she was going on a trip to the United States and Germany.

“She should not emulate me because she cannot do what I did and she will likely get caught,” Lacson said.

De Lima is facing investigation for alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade in New Bilibid Prison, where she allegedly protected convicted drug lords when she was the justice secretary.

Lacson said he did not think De Lima would flee, adding the senator assured him she would return to face the charges filed against her.

Never caught

Lacson was never caught when he hid for 14 months starting January 2010 shortly after an arrest warrant was issued against him in connection with the December 2000 killing of Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and the PR agent’s driver, Emmanuel Corbito.

The double murder case against Lacson was reversed by the Court of Appeals and he surfaced in March 2011.

To this day, however, Lacson has never divulged where he hid during those 14 months.

De Lima, as justice secretary  under the Aquino administration, warned Lacson that the manhunt for him was still on despite the court order clearing him in February 2011.

Lacson slammed De Lima at the time for her “ill-advised legal opinion.”

Travel order

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Lacson said he did not see anything wrong about the departure of De Lima.

He said De Lima was issued a travel order by Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III.

She was not placed under a hold-departure order and there was no warrant for her arrest, Lacson added.

He noted, however, that there was a lookout order for De Lima, the same directive that she used in stopping former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from leaving the country in 2010.

“You cannot prevent a person from traveling because that’s a basic right,” Lacson said.

Asked whether he thought De Lima would flee, he said that would be the senator’s choice.