CIVIL SOCIETY DENOUNCES “DEMONIZATION” OF LACSON

Ref. Prof. Harry Roque 09175398096

Civil society personalities today denounced what they described as the “demonization” of Senator Ping Lacson. Describing the Senator as the last voice of dissent in the Senate, Betina Legarda, Co-convenor of the Concerned Citizens Movement said that the linking of Senator Lacson’s name to the Dacer-Corbito case is intended to “eliminate the voice of dissent in the Senate”. Prof Harry Roque of the UP College of Law added that the timing of the accusation against Lacson is suspect:”Why did they wait for 8 long years before implicating Senator Lacson? And why are they implicating him only now, just when the election season is about to begin? This appears to be a well calculated and scripted demolition job to destroy the most consistent critic of the Arroyo administration, Roque added .

In a banner story that as published today, Lacson was allegedly directly implicated to the Dacer-Corbito murder cases by virtue of an affidavit executed by Cezar Mancao, a former subordinate of Lacson in the Philippine National Police. Former DOTC Secretary Josie Lichauco stated that the best evidence of the alleged involvement of Senator Lacson is the affidavit itself. Where is this affidavit? Why does not this administration finally release it to shed light on this latest controversy? Lichauco, who is a Yale educated lawyer, added that affidavits in this country are suspect given the fact that we have ceased to put a value on the truth. Dr. Minguita Padilla , convenor of the Be not Afraid Movement, urged the Dacer family not to trivialize the death of their father by allowing the administration to use this case as just another tool in its endless campaign to malign their strongest critic. “They should demand that the true affidavit be made public immediately to end all baseless innuendos and to finally get to the unadulterated truth. “

Dinky Soliman, a member of both eye FSGO and the Black and White Movement and a former arroyo cabinet member, also said that this latest vilification campaign against Ping Lacson is simply “squid tactics” meant to dirty and discredit those who criticize the many anomalies being committed by this administration. This is a disservice to those seeking the truth. If the DOH really has the affidavit, they should make it public as it is a public document.” Soliman herself was impleaded in a criminal case shortly after she withdrew her support for President Arroyo.

The attack on Lacson came ironically on the first day that his advertisements were to be shown on television. These ads would confirm Senator Lacson’s determination to seek a popular mandate for a higher elective post in the 2010 elections.



H. Harry L. Roque, Jr.
Chairperson
CenterLaw Philippines
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