In an interview, Sen. Lacson answers questions on:
– ‘Syndicate’ at DPWH
– NPA terrorist tag
– Pork in the 2018 budget
– PNP’s new role in anti-drug war
Quotes from the interview…
On legal implications of CPP-NPA being declared as terrorist org:
“May proscription. Sinasabi ang DOJ kailangan may application by the DOJ before a competent RTC. Of course after due notice, tapos the party should be heard in a hearing. May due notice ang hearing. Kasi due process yan. A mere presidential proclamation is not sufficient to legally declare the CPP-NPA or any group or org a terrorist group. Kailangan talaga court ang mag-intervene diyan.”
“I’m sure (security forces) will be properly given guidance. May guidelines naman yan. Hindi naman pwedeng just because may na-issue na proclamation or declaration ang Malacanang, agad-agad itatrato nila ang CPP-NPA as terrorist group. Hindi ganoon. That’s not how the law intends it to be.”
On PNP’s new active role vs drugs but PDEA still lead agency:
“I think that’s a more practical approach. Di naman pwede completely tanggalin sa PNP. Paano ang right there and then may nagko-commit ng violation ng RA 9165 at may pulis sa harap? Covered yna ng citizens’ arrest not just policemen but even us civilians, may karapatan naman tayo mag-aresto kung harap-harapan nako-commit ang crime.”
“Hindi kaya ng PDEA because they just have more than 1,000 men to cover the whole archipelago. So binigyan nila ng secondary role ang PNP. It’s just a formality actually.”
On a right-of-way syndicate in the DPWH:
“Let’s tie this up sa in-expose ni Catapang. Catapang used to be a member of the ROW syndicate. Alam nila kasi meron silang co-conspirator sa DPWH. Alam nila sa planning ito dadaan na kalsada. Ganoon ang sindikato, maski government land gagawan nila ng paraan para maka-produce ng title, minsan fake titles. And this runs to tens of billions of not hundreds of billions of pesos. So ang lalabas, pag alam mo saan dadaan ang kalsada, pagtitituluhan ang lupa na dadaanan at binibili nang mahal.”
“Nag-text (sa akin) si Gov. Daisy Fuentes sa lugar nila sa South Cotabato. Meron daw doon na dinaanan ng kalsada. Ang binayaran ng gobyerno P36M per hectare. Ang lupa na yan walang bumibili ng 50k per hectare. Just because ginawang ROW naging P36M. Sabi ko give me the documents. Di ba magiimbestiga si Sen. Pacquiao? And I was asking for documents because I talked to the lawyers of Catapang, ang nasa Witness Protection Program ni Sec. Aguirre. And I asked them to give us the pertinent documents para makita gaano kalawak ang sindikato.”
“I also warned Sec. Villar na actually what I’m doing is I’m helping you because right now ang investigation na ginagawa ang DOJ… (T)he syndicate is still in your department. Kasi papaano malalaman ng sindikato saan dadaan ang kalsada kung wala silang contact sa planning division ng DPWH? Diyan tayo nayayari. Diyan nayayari ang pera natin.”
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