Graft case recommendation vs Aquino leaves Lacson in disbelief

Senator Panfilo Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

Senator Panfilo Lacson said he found it “difficult” to believe that  former President Benigno Aquino III was “capable of committing graft and corruption.”

“Having worked  closely with ex-PNoy (Aquino) both in the Senate and Malacañang, it is difficult for me to believe that he was capable of committing  graft and corruption,” Lacson, who served as rehabilitation czar during Aquino’s time, said on Twitter on Wednesday.

His statement came shortly after Senator Richard Gordon released a draft report of the Senate blue ribbon  committee which recommended the  filing of a graft case  against Aquino over the P3.5-billion  Dengvaxia mess.

READ: Aquino, Abad, Garin ‘caused’ Dengvaxia ‘tragedy’ – draft report

It was during the time of  Aquino when the government  procured  the vaccine and first  administered   it to over 800,000   people. In November last year, however, pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur warned that  Dengvaxia may be harmful to people who have not  been previously infected by the virus.

Lacson did not say however whether or not he would sign the draft report as he has to read it yet.

“I haven’t read the draft as it is still a draft and probably not the final committee report to be routed among the committee members,” he said in a text message.

“What I’m invoking is my personal belief based on personal experiences about the former president having worked with him both in the Senate and in the executive,” Lacson added.   /muf/ac

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