Another Lacson Claim

The Philippine Daily Inquirer has another story where Sen. Lacson makes an unsubstantiated claim. This time, he advances the theory, from "unnamed DBM informants" that the cash hand-outs distributed to Philippine politicians "could have been part of the P500 million disbursed through the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB)."

This after he previously claimed that the cash hand-out came from "the P1-billion intelligence funds of the Police Security Protection Office (PSPO) and the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response (PACER) ."

This time, the PDI sort of called him on it by remarking that Sen. Lacson "offered no documents to back up his claim." and reminded it's readers that "Lacson previously claimed that the cash gifts were sourced from the Philippine National Police’s counterinsurgency funds."

Of course, the only thing that matters to Sen. Lacson is that he is again in the news, and people perceive him as being a fiscalizer to the government.

Update:

The DBM refutes Sen. Lacson's latest claim.

"Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya said on radio that the department did not have the capacity to directly disburse such amount to the account of a private person."

The Mind of Sen. Lacson

According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer

"Reacting to dares for him to present proof of his claims that police intelligence funds were given out to lawmakers and governors in Malacañang last month, Senator Panfilo Lacson said it is the Philippine National Police (PNP) that should prove all its funds are accounted for."

This remark gives us some insight on the record of the Philippine Anti-Crime Commission (PACC). This is probably the same mindset that he employed as head of the PACC, if the suspected criminals were not able to prove their innocence, they are automatically branded as guilty.

Wind Talker

When last we saw Senator Lacson in the fron pages, he was making tsismis with his friends regarding the possible relationship between Judge Macarambon, the newly appointed Comelec Commissioner and former Comelec Commissioner Garcillano.

At least at that time, he talked with unnamed "reliable sources", in his latest front page adventure, he just talks about "information he gathered" that told him the cash gifts from the administration came from the "P1-billion intelligence funds of the Police Security Protection Office (PSPO) and the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response (PACER)." Presumably, he gathered the information from people and not the wind, though since he doesn't say, he may have been talking to the wind.

He does not offer any shred of evidence that the money actually comes from the PNP. No disbursement ledger, no receipts, no witnesses, nothing. He does not even try to give any hint where evidence may be gathered. Rather, he wants the Senate to investigate his allegations, to get more his mug on the front page.

Update: 11-13-2007

The Inquirer has an update on this story where they reference a source who does not want to be identified.

"One of the biggest sources of the money distributed in Malacañang was the Bureau of Customs, according to a source, whose rank is equivalent to a general in the military. The source did not want to be named owing to the sensitivity of the issue.

According to the police official, the money was entered as a “special fund” in the PNP budget, purported as an item for the PNP’s counterinsurgency program in support of the military’s own campaign.

The checks for the fund were cleared in the name of the PNP in July, the source said. The money was later transferred to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the source added."

If the Inquirer's story is true, that the money was coursed through the counterinsurgency program of the PNP. Senator Lacson's allegatio that it was through the intelligence fund cannot be true. It may be argued we shouldn't quibble over details, the PNP is still involved. But God and the Devil is in the details. You should not accuse an office, of criminal activity if it was not involved in the activity, even if the true culprit is an office within the same agency. Which is why he needs to get more evidence before spouting off. It can only make him look trigger happy.

Mag Isip naman kayo

Nadiyaryo na naman si Senator Lacson dahil sa pagbunyag niya ng katibayan na magkakilala nga si Judge Macarambon at si dating Comelec Commissioner Garcilliano. Ang kanyang katibayan? Magkasama sa isang Fraternity yung dalawa.

Ha? Sumakit tuloy ang ulo ko. Ibig bang sabihin ni Senador Lacson lahat ng kasapi at naging kasapi ng isang fraternity ay magkakakilala? Anong klaseng logic yan? Nag-iisip ba itong mga Senador natin? Simpleng logic naman, it does not follow, sa latin, non sequitur.

Kahapon lang sumakit din ang ulo ko kay Senador Trillanes, at sa kanyang witness, minanmanan niya ang Glorietta samakatwid ang Gobyerno ang nagpasabog dito. Diba, logical.

Diyos ko. At bakit pinapabayaan ng mga diyaryo na magbigay ng mga ganitong klaseng pahayag ang mga senador na ito. Dapat pinagtatawanan lang itong mga ganitong klaseng pahayag para matuto sila at sa susunod ay magdala ng mas matibay na katibayan.