Is Ping Lacson in Australia?

Lacson, Estrada both leave on eve of Senator Villar showdown

It was earlier reported that Senator Panfilo Lacson, who exposed the C-5 mess, has gone to Australia and did not show up for the voting by the Senate on Senator Manuel Villar Jr.

According to Senate sources, Lacson flew to Australia on a Cathay Pacific flight via Hong Kong on Jan. 18 after obtaining clearance from Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

Lacson’s absence fuelled speculation that the Estrada-era police chief may be trying to
Senator Ping Lacson evade an arrest warrant that has actually been issued by the courts when his petition for bail was denied. He was indicted for his alleged involvement in the abduction and murder of publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000.

Lacson’s absence came after the Justice Department filed two counts of murder against him. He was then the Head of Philippine National Police during the Dacer-Corbito killings. The indictment was based on the affidavit and court testimony of former Senior Supt. Cesar Mancao, who claimed it was Lacson, his former superior in the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF), who had masterminded the twin murders.

Lacson’s lawyers have filed a motion with the Manila Regional Trial Court-Branch No. 18 to dismiss the murder charges for “lack of probable cause.”

They said Lacson’s indictment was based largely on one of several conflicting affidavits of Mancao, who had testified that he learned about the senator’s involvement in the crime from an alleged conversation between former Senior Supt. Michael Ray Aquino and Lacson on board a car in September or October 2000. The lawyers said the conversation never took place, and even if it did, what it showed at most was that Aquino had told Lacson of the plot against Dacer.

The Court of Appeals has started hearing Lacson’s petition to stop the Justice Department from pursuing his criminal prosecution.
Enrile said the Senate would request the courts to allow it to take Lacson into its custody now that an arrest warrant has already been issued against him. However, the former Defence Secretary admitted that he himself could not prevent Lacson’s arrest because the alleged crime was punishable with imprisonment of more than six years.

Nevertheless, Enrile said, he would not allow the authorities to arrest Lacson inside the Senate’s plenary hall while proceedings were in progress.

Lacson’s “Wanted” posters to remain

“WANTED” posters of Senator Panfilo Lacson will stay despite an anti-litter campaign of the Metro Manila Development Authority, according to an official. Only campaign materials outside of designated common poster areas along with illegal commercial advertisements would be torn down, Even the Department of Justice said there was nothing irregular about those “WANTED” posters.

Seen in Guangdong, China then Macau

According to an ABS-CBN News report, the fugitive senator was seen in Guangdong, China and later was again seen driving a rented car en route to Macau. Lacson was using Philippine Passport No. DP0001469. It has so far not been ascertained if he is using a diplomatic passport.

Now on Interpol Watch List

Senator Panfilo Lacson has been placed on the red notice list of the International Police (Interpol) in connection with the nine-year-old Dacer-Corbito killings. “It is confirmed,” said Claro de Castro Jr., chief of the NBI Interpol Division. “Lacson may be arrested by foreign counterparts depending on the discretion of the country-member which will find him.”

By placing Lacson on the list, the Interpol and its member-countries can now assist Philippine authorities in locating his whereabouts. It also said that red notices allow the warrant of arrest issued against the person to be circulated worldwide with the request that the wanted person be arrested with a view to extradition.

Lacson’s camp, meanwhile, asked the Manila Regional Trial Court to recall the warrant of arrest it issued against the senator and to dismiss the charges filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ).