This came as DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima said the agency could still clear Lacson of involvement in the November 2000 murders of publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito since it had the option of reviewing the case even if it was already being tried.

De Lima said she had “plenary power as secretary of justice” to reinvestigate the case. “But this option (of using plenary power) is only resorted to if there is clear basis,” she said.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said “Secretary De Lima may have information that is not available to us which can be the basis of her statements.”

Valte said De Lima was responding to questions and answered in the interest of transparency.

“That information is, again, the best judgment of Secretary De Lima. That’s it. There can be perhaps a lot of things that we, the general public, are not aware of in terms of this case. So this is why Secretary De Lima is able to know more than media,” Valte said.

There have been reports that Lacson is in the country and not abroad.

President Aquino ruled out the creation of a task force to hunt down the fugitive senator, who had been issued a warrant of arrest, saying the concerned authorities were already looking for him.

Aurea Calica, Philippine Star