Showing posts with label Sen. Panfilo Lacson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sen. Panfilo Lacson. Show all posts

PostHeaderIcon Nasty politics & murders: digging old dirt against Erap Estrada & Ping Lacson



Sen. Panfilo Lacson, the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and head of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) accused ex-president Joseph Erap Estrada of being a protector of gambling operators, a godfather of smugglers and a bully in a privilege speech on Monday, September 14, 2009. What is new? Aren’t these the bases of why Estrada was driven out of Malacanang and subsequently convicted as a plunderer?

There was no surprise about the serious charges. Estrada, the felon had been ousted from presidency and disgracefully convicted of corruption after a tedious judicial process---only to be haphazardly pardoned by Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo.

“The rift between Lacson and Estrada started in 2004, when the ex-President picked his friend, late actor Fernando Poe Jr., over Lacson as the opposition's presidential bet in that year's elections. Lacson continued his presidential campaign that year. Both lost to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.”---GMA.News TV (09/14/09, Dedace, S.)

The renewed war between Lacson and Estrada can be traced to politics. As the election season starts, Erap wages a political come back desiring to broker or run in the May 2010 presidential race. As this develops, the double murder case of Dacer-Corbito is back---pointing to Erap and Lacson.

The former PNP chief and ex-president are among the main suspects of the killing of Salvador (Bubby) Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000. The new interest on the cold-blooded murders comes with additional testimonies against them. But te duo seem well ahead of the game.

Lacson’s charges are met with countercharges by Erap Estrada who denies all accusations. In his defense, Estrada's son Sen. Jinggoy joins to say that the accusation against his father are “pure” lies.

The people however watch in exasperation and incredulity. They are tired of these familiar political bickerings and unresolved hideous crimes involving top officials who bring the nation to nowhere.(Photo Credit: animationcomics) =0=

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PostHeaderIcon Witness in the Dacer-Corbito case slain



The protracted prosecution of the Dacer-Corbito murders which occurred almost 10 years ago has claimed another victim. As the case hugged the headline anew, Jimmy Lopez, a former civilian agent of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) and his female companion were gunned down, an apparent move to silence them.

Lopez was scheduled to testify again in the Department of Justice prosecution of the Dacer-Corbito murders. He earlier served as a state witness detailing how publicist Salvador (Bubby) Dacer and driver Emmanuel Corbito went missing, hogtied in his home in Cavite before the victims were killed, burned, and disposed of in a shallow grave.

About a month before Dacer's death, he wrote Gen. Jose Almonte about threats to his life. Among the suspected masterminds of the killings are Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Prss. Joseph Estrada. Though claims and counterclaims in this double murder have muddled up the case, the culprit(s) is not hard find.

"In that letter, published by Newsbreak in Jan. 2001, Dacer told Almonte that he wrote “instead of calling (Almonte) to avoid being recorded by General (Panfilo) Lacson and President Estrada.” At that time, the impeachment complaint against Estrada had just been filed at the House of Representatives.

Dacer said he had been warned by concerned friends “that President Estrada has tagged me as the field officer in the alleged destabilization campaign against the administration.” A Manila police officer, he said, even suggested a safehouse. “While I appreciate all these concerns, I politely declined any offer of safehouses.”---ABSCBN (03/19/09, Rufo, A.C.)

The murder of Lopez shows how dangerous it is to be a witness to a crime in the Philippines especially if hoodlums, the military, and powerful persons are involved. Without protection and assurance of safety, many witnesses to a crime will be deterred from testifying.

Reprisal and intimidation stand as big obstacles in making justice work in the country. A clear assault against democratic process, the cold-blooded and dastardly murder of Lopez is contemptible and must be rejected. Authorities and society have the obligation to find the perpetrators and put criminals to justice. (Photo Credit www.eu2008si) =0=

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