MANILA, Philippines – Justice Secretary Leila de Lima directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to arrest Senator Panfilo Lacson within a few days as they already know where he is hiding in the country. De Lima confirmed an intelligence report that the elusive senator is hiding somewhere in the country.
The former chairman of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) gave the NBI an ultimatum to serve the warrant of arrest within a few days or facilitate his surrender.
“I talked to NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula. I told the NBI – the elite team – to step up their hunt for Lacson. They have to wrap up the probe, to wrap up their mission, which is to implement the warrant of arrest,” De Lima told reporters.
She stressed that the NBI has already pinpointed the place where the senator is staying in the past months.
De Lima said the NBI agents have been conducting monitoring and surveillance in the area where the senator is staying.
“I'm confident about this one. Meron na confirmation ang intelligence report that he's in the country. Hindi naman pwede puro monitoring lang, puro na lang ganun,” she added.
Last week, Lacson filed a manifestation before the Court of Appeals (CA) insisting his innocence and assailing the finding of probable cause by the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) to issue an arrest warrant against him.
In a four-page manifestation, Lacson through his lawyer Alexander Poblador stressed that the testimony of former police Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao naming him as the one who ordered the summary killing of Dacer and his driver was “pure fabrication.”
On the basis of the testimony, Judge Myra Fernandez, then Manila RTC Branch 18 presiding judge, issued a warrant of arrest against Lacson on February 4, 2010.
Enrile back bounty
Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said he would support the government’s plan to put up a P2-million bounty that would lead to the arrest of Lacson who has been tagged as one of the suspects in the killing of a publicist and his driver in 2001.
Enrile said it is the prerogative of the Justice Secretary De Lima to “put a price on the head of anybody who is wanted by the law.”
“As far as the department is concerned he is already a fugitive. He’s all asking for consideration but nevertheless, they want him in custody,” Enrile told reporters in an ambush interview at the sidelines of the 2011 budget deliberations.
Jeamma Sabate & Hannah Torregoza, Manila Bulletin
