Santiago: Enrile, Lacson, Reyes plotting massive psywar operation

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Thursday exposed what she described as “massive psywar operation” allegedly being perpetrated by “trinity of holy conspirators.”

Santiago identified the “trinity of holy conspirators” as Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile and his former chief of staff, lawyer Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, and former senator and now rehabilitation czar Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.

“There is a vast, costly, and sinister disinformation operation to compel the Ombudsman to grant the motions for reconsideration of three senators whom she has found to be liable for plunder in the pork barrel scam,”  she said in a statement.

“The principals in this massive psywar operation are: Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile; his former chief of staff Gigi Reyes; and Enrile’s ally and attack dog Panfilo Lacson,” she said

Santiago said 90-year-old Enrile, who  she said is facing suspension from office as senator, and imprisonment in a detention cell while facing trial, was “desperate” to prevent the Ombudsman from filing the case against him in court.”

This “trinity of unholy conspirators,” she said, include Lacson and Reyes, who he said were both granted safe haven by Enrile in his hometown in Cagayan.

Santiago said Lacson, meanwhile,  was a fugitive from justice who was never punished by the court when he finally appeared.

“Where is Reyes?  Nobody knows.  Why would Lacson come forward with a spurious document, one month after he claims that it was handed to him?” she asked, referring to the former senator’s claim that   Napoles also wanted to tell all to him.

But Santiago said Lacson’s claims were “so full of holes that it’s like a sieve.”

She said it was “incredible” that while the Napoles family could have easily contacted other government officials close to President Aquino, Lacson claimed that it was him who had been approached by the Napoles’ camp  when he is no longer a senator, and is working as one of many presidential assistants.

Santiago then warned the public, particularly in Metro Manila, to “keep your composure and remain level-headed” during what she claimed would turn out to be a “massive psywar disinformation campaign using pork barrel kickbacks.”

The aim of the psywar campaign, she said, was to discredit the Aquino administration, and distract public attention away from the trial and prosecution of those charged with plunder.

“This is a diversionary tactic, very similar to the so-called Zamboanga uprising.  Both are bankrolled heavily, because they are intended to forcibly turn public attention away from the criminal culpability of those charged with plunder.  For the respondents, this is a desperate make-or-break situation,” she said.

Santiago also called for “enlightened skepticism” in accepting Napoles’ new version of events.

“Napoles could be damaged goods.  How come that her former employees have documented dealings with named public officials, but they never mentioned other public officials whom Napoles is now scheduled to reveal?”  She asked,

.

“Sec. (Leila) De Lima is entitled to the legal presumption of regularity in the performance of official functions.  Lacson has no legal basis for whatever he thinks he is doing.  Remember, he is not even a lawyer, but a policeman with a very shadowy background, including his martial law record of human rights abuses, unsolved police rubouts, and the Atimonan massacre committed by his PNP cohorts,” Santiago added.

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