Sen. Panfilo Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON
Senator Panfilo Lacson poked fun at Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II for leaving a Senate hearing Monday to be in Malacañang where Miss Universe candidates paid a courtesy call on the President.
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Lacson made a light remark about Aguirre when told during Tuesday’s hearing of the Senate committee on games and amusement that the heads of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) could not attend the proceeding because of prior engagements in Malacañang.
“Hindi naman Miss Universe lang yan ha (It’s just a Miss Universe event),” Lacson, chairman of the committee, said in jest.
“Kahapon sa hearing si Secretary Aguirre sabi nya, I have to leave, I have to go to Malacañang, yun pala Misss Universe (Secretary Aguirre said in the hearing yesterday ‘I have to leave, I have to go to Malacañang’ then I found out it was for a Miss Universe event),” the senator said.
Lacson was referring to the hearing of the Senate committee on blue ribbon on the reported P50-million bribery scandal allegedly involving some immigration officials.
Aguirre was among the invited resource persons in the bribery probe but left the hearing early.
Also during the hearing of the committee on games, Lacson recognized the presence of whistleblower Sandra Cam but not also without making a light remark.
“Miss Sandra Cam, welcome. O ikaw, what can you contribute to humanity,” the senator said. RAM/rga