Isang solusyon para masugpo ang ilegal na droga sa bansa ay ang pagpapalakas sa ating foreign liaisons.
Para kay Senador Ping Lacson, ito ang formula na kanyang ginamit noon kung saan nakipag-ugnayan sya sa ibang bansa para mapigilan ang pagpasok ng ilegal na droga sa bansa.
“Lahat na bansa kinakausap namin. Part yan ng prevention, market constriction effort,” ani Lacson sa kanyang panayam sa TeleRadyo.
Strengthening foreign liaisons could be just what the doctor ordered in the government’s war against illegal drugs.
Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said this was the formula that he used in his law enforcement days to coordinate with other countries in preventing the entry of illegal drugs to the Philippines.
“Lahat na bansa kinakausap namin. Part yan ng prevention, market constriction effort (We coordinated at the time with liaisons from all countries, as part of our efforts to prevent the entry of illegal drugs),” Lacson said in an interview on TeleRadyo.
In the pursuit of any criminal investigation, there is only one rule that applies. It is called the rule on evidence which should be bound by the rule of law.
Once such evidence is clearly established to warrant the filing of criminal information against identified suspects, there is no other course of action for the Department of Justice to pursue but to take those cases to their logical conclusion, no matter the consequences.
That being said, the role of the DOJ is crucial in showing the community of nations in general and the International Criminal Court in particular that as a civilized, democratic country, we can independently and responsibly hold criminally accountable our law enforcement officers – and their superiors, if the evidence so warrants – when they commit excesses in the performance if their sworn duties.
And the total war against drugs should not be an exception.
Shabu seized in Aug. 1, 2021 operation. Image courtesy: PDEA
Bakit lalong nagiging lantaran ang pagkasangkot sa ilegal na droga ng ilang Tsino sa ating bansa? Gaano na sila katagal namamayagpag dito? May koneksyon ba sila sa pamahalaan?
Ito ang mga tanong na inilahad ni Senador Panfilo Lacson nitong Lunes kasabay ng pagsasabing dapat ay mahanapan ng solusyon ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) at Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), kasunod ng mga serye ng operasyon ng Philippine National Police (PNP) laban sa ilegal na droga.
“Salute to the PNP! More than these successful police operations, the DDB and PDEA should look deeper into the bold and imprudent behavior of these Chinese nationals to choose the Philippines as their base; how long they had been operating; their possible connections in government, etc.,” saad ni Lacson, na namuno sa PNP noong 1999 hanggang 2001, sa kanyang Twitter account.
Shabu seized in Aug. 1, 2021 operation. Image courtesy: PDEA
Why are some Chinese nationals being bolder in their involvement in drug operations in the Philippines? How long have they been operating here? Do they have connections in government?
These are among the questions that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Dangerous Drugs Board should look into, after a series of anti-drug operations by the Philippine National Police, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Monday.
“Salute to the PNP! More than these successful police operations, the DDB and PDEA should look deeper into the bold and imprudent behavior of these Chinese nationals to choose the Philippines as their base; how long they had been operating; their possible connections in government, etc.,” Lacson, who headed the PNP from 1999 to 2001, said in a post on his Twitter account.
Ano ang kalagayan ng programa ng gobyerno sa pagbabakuna laban sa COVID-19, at ang pakikipaglaban sa katiwalian? Mas bumuti ba ang buhay natin ngayon mula nang mag-umpisa ang administrasyon ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte noong 2016? Ano pa ang puwede niyang gawin sa nalalabing panahon ng kanyang termino?
Ilan ito sa mga katanungan ni Senador Panfilo Lacson na inaasahan niyang masasagot ng Pangulo sa panghuling State of the Nation Address (SONA) nito sa Hulyo 26.
“After five years, where are we now, or what is the situation in the many aspects of his administration such as peace and order, fight against illegal drugs, corruption, economy, and foreign policy, particularly the West Philippine Sea? We want to hear what happened in the last five years – and moving forward for the last year of his administration, what can still be done?” banggit ni Lacson sa isang media forum nitong Linggo.
Sa kanyang mga katanungan ay binigyang diin ng mambabatas ang programa sa pagbabakuna.
“But it is critical to update us on the government’s response to the pandemic. This includes the status of the government’s vaccination program. This is important because many Filipinos still do not trust the vaccine. In the meantime, the government must continue its campaign to gain the people’s trust in vaccines, based on science,” ayon pa sa mambabatas.
What is the status of the government’s vaccination program, and its fight against corruption? Are we better off than when President Rodrigo Duterte started his term in 2016? What can be done in the last year of his term?
These are among the questions that Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson hopes the President will address in his final State of the Nation Address (SONA) this July.
“After five years, where are we now, or what is the situation in the many aspects of his administration such as peace and order, fight against illegal drugs, corruption, economy, and foreign policy, particularly the West Philippine Sea? We want to hear what happened in the last five years – and moving forward for the last year of his administration, what can still be done?” Lacson said at a media forum in Manila on Sunday.
“But it is critical to update us on the government’s response to the pandemic. This includes the status of the government’s vaccination program. This is important because many Filipinos still do not trust the vaccine. In the meantime, the government must continue its campaign to gain the people’s trust in vaccines, based on science,” he added.
To Panay News: We wish to set the record straight regarding some claims by Mr. Roberto “Bert” Ladera in his March 4 column in Panay News – including that Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson is belittling the efforts of our law enforcers in battling the menace of illegal drugs, when he said that the anti-drug war has not succeeded.
Kailangang pagbutihin ng mga awtoridad ang mga polisiyang ginagamit sa operasyon laban sa ilegal na droga upang hindi na maulit ang madugong misencounter na nangyari sa pagitan ng mga operatiba ng Philippine National Police (PNP) at Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Ayon kay Senador at dating PNP Chief Panfilo Lacson, ang isa sa mga sistemang dapat na isagawa sa usapin ng ilegal na droga ay dapat na ang PDEA ang magsisilbing “overseer” sa operasyon kung saan nakatutok lamang ito sa intelihensiya habang ang pagsalakay o pagtimbog ay ipapaubaya na sa mga sinanay na tauhan ng PNP.
“We have to resolve the trust issue between the PNP and PDEA. But it would be better if the PDEA acted as overseer in anti-drug operations, and focus on intelligence-gathering, whether it is technical or human intelligence,” paliwanag ni Lacson sa panayam sa kanya ng DZBB.
Ang nabanggit na sistema ay ginagamit na ng ibang bansang nagpapatupad ng seryosong kampanya laban sa ilegal na droga.
“In other countries, the output of intelligence work is shared with specially trained police units, with one or two PDEA operatives accompanying or ‘guiding’ the police force in the operation. That is the ideal situation where coordination is smooth and tight. The last thing we need is the reluctance of our agencies to work together because of what happened,” dagdag pa ni Lacson.
The government may need to adjust its policies to prevent a repeat of the deadly “misencounter” between Philippine National Police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency operatives in Quezon City last Wednesday, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Sunday.
Lacson said one such adjustment would involve the PDEA “overseeing” anti-drug operations and focusing on intelligence work, and leaving the assault operations to specially trained police personnel.
“We have to resolve the trust issue between the PNP and PDEA. But it would be better if the PDEA acted as overseer in anti-drug operations, and focus on intelligence-gathering, whether it is technical or human intelligence,” he said in an interview on DZBB radio.
“In other countries, the output of intelligence work is shared with specially trained police units, with one or two PDEA operatives accompanying or ‘guiding’ the police force in the operation. That is the ideal situation where coordination is smooth and tight. The last thing we need is the reluctance of our agencies to work together because of what happened,” he added.
I’m not sure what the ICC prosecutor actually meant by “reasonable basis to believe”. Under the ICC statute, reasonable grounds to believe is considered as an “unreasonably unclear evidentiary threshold”.
I’m not sure what the ICC prosecutor actually meant by “reasonable basis to believe”. Under the ICC statute, reasonable grounds to believe is considered as an “unreasonably unclear evidentiary threshold”.
That said, in the realm of possibilities to prosecute the President for crimes against humanity, the statement of Prosecutor Bensouda may only be good as a press release and nothing more, at least at this point in time.
Kung hindi pa isinasantabi ng administrasyong Duterte ang gyera sa ilegal na droga, bakit binawasan ang mga kahilingan o proposal ng DDB mula P520.4 milyon to P344.5 milyon; at ng PDEA mula proposal na P4.911 bilyon to P2.731 bilyon sa NEP?
Habang nag-issue ang Pangulo ng EO 66 noong 2018 para magkaroon ng multi-agency approach ang gobyerno sa pamamagitan ng PADS (Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy) kaya pinasumite ang 61 ahensya ng budget para suportahan itong strategy, apat lamang ang pinabibigyan ng pondo ng DBM ng P2.053 bilyon sa ilalim ng NEP.
Pati ang mga augmentation na ginawa ng Senado para sa kanilang 2020 budget ay isinama sa “FLR (For Later Release)” at hindi ni-release: P81.9 milyon sa DDB at P106.1 milyon sa PDEA, ayon sa DBM Circular 580. Dahil dito, nadiskaril ang kanilang mga nakalinya na at umiiral na mga PAPs tulad ng ICT training at pambili ng ICT equipment.
Tuloy dapat ang laban sa illegal drugs, may COVID man o wala. Kaya naiintindihan ko ang hinaing at pakiusap ng DDB at PDEA sa pagdinig kahapon tungkol sa 2021 budget nila kung pwedeng madagdagan ng Senado ang kanilang tinapyas na budget.
May kasabihan tayo: Tulak ng bibig, kabig ng dibdib. Iyan ba ang nangyayari ngayon sa laban sa ilegal na droga sa kabila ng libu-libong napatay na mula noong 2016 pa?
Certain details of one who has been convicted of a crime after going through a court trial may be generally accessible to the public except for some very isolated cases, mostly due to security considerations.
However, dying of a contagion as dreaded as the coronavirus could subject the victim’s immediate family to undue discrimination, not to mention the stigma that they may suffer from the public.
The Data Privacy Act may actually be applicable in the case of Jaybee Sebastian and other high value PDLs who reportedly succumbed to COVID-19 – although in an inquiry in aid of legislation, we as legislators can ask relevant questions, especially in an executive session.
Unless there is very compelling reason to suspect any foul play – and as of now, there is none – personally, I’d rather focus on more pressing matters than be distracted by the death/s of drug convict/s who had shown no remorse at all by continuing their drug operations even in the confines of the high-security facility of the New Bilibid Prison, right under the noses of prison officials, corrupting those who have no moral fortitude to resist even drug money.
Director General-designate Wilkins Villanueva is such one good and professional officer who is fit for the job, having a long career in drug enforcement.
The President couldn’t have appointed a more qualified head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, having served our country for nearly 20 years with the Philippine National Police Narcotics Group and with the PDEA.
With the challenge of going after drug personalities amid the new normal posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, he indeed has his work cut out for him.
I look forward to working with him, being the Senate Finance Subcommittee Chair and Sponsor of the PDEA and Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) budgets, among others.
I have always believed that the real test of character of public officials like P/Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido is power or money. Give them the opportunity to lay their hands on either one or both, and they will reveal who they really are.
I remember then PO1 Espenido during our PAOCTF days as someone who consistently performed his duty with integrity and dedication. At least that was how I knew him in the many instances that he faced those challenges. But that time, he was just a non-commissioned officer at the bottom of the salary grade of police personnel. Rising from the ranks, he held several positions of higher authority until his relief recently.
This morning, I sent him a text message with a simple question: “What happened?” He has not replied, unlike before when he would even text me with early morning Bible quotes.
It is a pity because no less than President Duterte took notice of his performance by publicly acknowledging his contribution to the government’s war on illegal drugs, easily making him the poster boy of the campaign.
Espenido’s case, if true, could be one big reason why the war against illegal drugs is failing.
Being his former superior, I hope he can acquit himself and convincingly disprove this very serious allegation against him. Otherwise, he is just one of the many others I personally knew to have succumbed to the pressure.
In an interview with media in Lingayen, Pangasinan, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– VP Robredo’s claim that the war vs drugs is a ‘massive failure’
– Filipinos affected by tension in the Middle East
– pork in the 2020 budget
– PNP physical fitness policy
In an interview on ANC, Sen. Lacson answered questions on: – House leaders’ claims that Senate to blame for early hosting woes for SEA Games – pork in the 2020 budget
– reported proposal to vote for President and VP in tandem
– advice to VP Robredo after her removal as ICAD co-chair
In an interview, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– removal of VP Robredo as ICAD co-chairperson
– claims the Senate is partly to blame for early SEA Games hosting woes
At the Kapihan sa Senado forum, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– Hide and Seek: Pork spotted in the 2020 budget
– Situation of VP Robredo in the anti-drug war
– President Duterte’s ‘ban’ on vaping
In an interview on CNN Philippines, Sen. Lacson answered questions on: – thwarting ‘pork’ in the proposed 2020 budget
– role of VP Robredo in anti-drug war
Sen. Lacson sponsored the proposed PhP553.661-million budget of the Dangerous Drugs Board. The proposed 2020 budget of the DDB is lower than the 2019 budget due to, among other factors, the non-recurring funding for the nationwide survey on the extent of drug abuse in the Philippines.
Lacson also sponsored the PhP2.480-billion budget of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, higher than the current year’s budget.
Kudos to Vice President Robredo. I take my hat off to her for accepting the daunting challenge. Nobody in this world cannot be incapable of accomplishing a task as long as he or she puts his or her mind and conscience into the job.
Experience counts but sincerity and mental honesty, not to mention the willingness to learn, should count more. We should all give her the support she needs to contribute her share in battling this pestering problem of illegal drugs that destroys lives, families and the youth to whom we will bequeath the future of our beloved country.
In my case, I am ready and willing to humbly share whatever modest law enforcement experience I gained in my previous life.
Only the President can wield sufficient authority and power over our law enforcement officials. Unless he delegates a blanket authority, including the power to hire and fire, no one else in the government bureaucracy can do it better than the Chief Executive under any other given circumstances.
Having said that, the President is easily peeved when his administration’s top priorities – such as eliminating illegal drugs and corruption, which he used as his campaign platform – become the subject of criticisms.
In an interview on DZBB/GNTV, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– continued drug recycling by P/Maj Baloyo’s ‘colleagues’ who are still out there
– fate of Chief PNP Albayalde and race for his successor
– generals reportedly involved in drug trade
Sen. Lacson chaired the resumption of the hearing on the 2020 budget of the PDEA and DDB, where the problem of recycling of seized illegal drugs was taken up. Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta and Court Administrator Midas Marquez attended the hearing, upon the Senate’s investigation.
Sen. Lacson cited the problem raised by the PDEA in the previous budget hearing. “Right now, what’s stocked in the warehouse of PDEA is P22B worth of different kinds of drugs. We don’t know because the problem exists as PDEA claims, they have to wait for a court order before they can finally destroy the drugs confiscated. We’d like to find out anong magandang gawin para di ma-recycle ang drugs on account of stocking.”
In an interview with media after the hearing, Sen. Lacson also cited other preventive measures such as joint operations, and closer coordination with the judiciary in destroying illegal drugs seized as evidence.
It is the biggest irony that while the government has spent so much time, energy and resources to build up intelligence, gather evidence leading to the arrest of big-time drug traffickers especially Chinese drug lords, then spend more to prosecute and convict those arrested and charged, here is Faeldon and whoever else was responsible, by the stroke of their pens, would release at least 48 drug convicts out of the 1,914 heinous crime convicts under questionable circumstances.
If the President does not take drastic action on this latest caper of an official who was recycled in spite of questionable actions committed in his previous assignment like the P6.4-billion shabu smuggling that got away under mysterious circumstances, on top of the organized “tara” on smuggled goods, we should start thinking if there is seriousness in this administration’s much-touted war against drugs and corruption midway into his six-year term.
In interviews on DWIZ, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– possible legislative remedies to the GCTA law
– irony of the release of convicted drug lords via GCTA amid anti-drug war
– the woman who signed the release papers for Chiong case convicts
– ‘Designated Survivor’ bill
In an interview on DZBB/GNTV, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– national dignity factor in UN-HRC resolution on killings
– ‘double standard’ in UN, WPS issues?
– reported claim that VP Robredo’s stand on UN-HRC resolution is a ground for impeachment
First, I certainly hope the Integrated Bar of the Philippines will give the same amount of attention and assistance to anybody seeking legal assistance. Otherwise, they might be misunderstood as engaging in political partisanship, which could punch a hole and deflate their credibility.
By their admission, they haven’t evaluated Bikoy’s accusations, yet they provided him their facility and a forum to air his accusations.
As far as the Senate, we will await his sworn statement and whatever supporting evidence he has, after which we will evaluate and proceed from there. If it merits a Senate inquiry, we definitely will conduct one to hear him and more, if any.
In an interview on CNN Philippines, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– pork in the 2019 budget
– Chinese presence in the West Philippine Sea
– reported plan to publicly name cops involved in the drug trade
At the Kapihan sa Senado forum, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– birthday wish and ‘grade’ for President Duterte
– former police Col. Acierto
– war on drugs and DDB survey
– whether the P3.757-trillion 2019 budget will be pork-free
– Ayalas’ apology amid recent NCR water crisis
– preferences for the May 2019 elections
Labag sa batas ng Pilipinas ang inpormasyon o materyal na bunga ng wiretapping activities na “imported” o galing sa ibang bansa, ayon kay Senador Panfilo Lacson.
Ayon kay Lacson, ang naturang impormasyon ay salungat din sa pangunahing obligasyon ng Estado na protektahan ang mga Pilipino laban sa pang-aabuso at banta.
Inilatag ni Lacson, na naging pinuno ng Philippine National Police mula 1999 hanggang 2001, ang isang klarong halimbawa kung ang isang indibiduwal galing sa ibayong dagat at mahulihan ng marijuana paglapag sa paliparan sa bansa ay siguradong agad na sasampahan ng kaso ng paglabag sa mga batas ng Pilipinas laban sa ilegal na droga.
“What if someone brings into the country marijuana which he/she got or bought from a foreign country where possession and use of the same is legal? Will the person who brought in the marijuana not be violating the Dangerous Drugs Act?” tanong pa ni Lacson.
Wiretapped information from foreign sources linking Filipinos to crimes such as illegal drugs is a violation of Philippine law and the State’s policy to protect its citizens, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson stressed.
Lacson likened the situation to a person who bought marijuana in a country where it is legal, but will be arrested for violating the Philippine Dangerous Drugs Act once he/she brings it into the Philippines.
“What if someone brings into the country marijuana which he/she got or bought from a foreign country where possession and use of the same is legal? Will the person who brought in the marijuana not be violating the Dangerous Drugs Act?” said Lacson, who headed the Philippine National Police from 1999 to 2001.
He also contested Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra’s reported pronouncement that if the wiretapped conversation came from a country where wiretapping is not illegal, it “may be passed on to the Philippine government and considered admissible in Philippine courts.”
“Mr. Secretary, possession of wiretapped material is also an offense,” Lacson said in a post on his Twitter account on Thursday.
In an interview on DWIZ, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– possible delay in the signing of the 2019 budget due to House’s post-ratification pork
– need to revisit RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty amid US State Secretary Pompeo’s assurance
Instead of killing street pushers, the Philippine National Police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency must exhaust efforts to arrest them, so they can lead to the big-time suppliers of illegal drugs.
Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson offered this formula to the two agencies so they can deal the drug trade a major blow.
Learn from history, establish a focused counter-intelligence system to curb corruption, and prioritize leadership by example.
These can help the Bureau of Customs curb corruption without having to tap officers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Monday.
Lacson, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1971, cited a lesson from the 1960s showing the use of idealistic AFP officers to run the BOC did not work, after the smuggling rings used women to sway them.
“In the early 60’s, some young, idealistic AFP officers were put in charge of the BOC operations. They learned fast, they couldn’t be bribed or intimidated. The smugglers used equally young, beautiful women to influence them. The rest is history we don’t want to remember,” Lacson said in a post on his Twitter account.
In an interview on DWIZ, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– situation of detained Sen. de Lima
– options for new Customs Commissioner Guerrero
– PNPA sex scandal as a ‘test case’ for the Anti-Hazing Law of 2018
– proposed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2018
– Sen. Honasan being eyed to head DICT
Ito ang pagsasalarawan ni Senador Panfilo Lacson sa pagkakatalaga kay dating Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Isidro Lapeña bilang pinuno ng Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), matapos ang kontrobersiyal na pagkakalusot ng tone-toneladang shabu.
Sinabi ni Lacson na bagama’t promosyon mula sa BOC ang bagong posisyon ni Lapeña bilang pinuno ng TESDA na tinuturing na Cabinet post, ito ay demosyon sa ibang aspeto.
“It may well be a promotion in rank and position, but definitely a demotion in trust and confidence,” ani Lacson.
Newly appointed Bureau of Customs Commissioner Leonardo Rey Guerrero will have big boots to fill as he replaces the newly “promoted” Isidro Lapeña, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Friday.
But Lacson also noted that while Lapeña was promoted in rank and position, his transfer to a new post may well be a demotion in trust and confidence.
“It may well be a promotion in rank and position, but definitely a demotion in trust and confidence. It’s a pity because save for the big shabu shipment that got away, apparently due to collusion between the drug syndicate and some low-level Customs officials, former Commissioner Lapeña was doing a good job proven by consistently exceeding the Bureau’s target collections,” Lacson said.
“Having said that, the President has once again shown zero tolerance as far as his war on drugs is concerned,” he added.
With law enforcers proving themselves capable of going after street peddlers, it is high time for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Dangerous Drugs Board to go after the so-called big fish.
Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson stressed this on Tuesday as he cited the need for stricter coordination at the upper levels against the entry of illegal drugs into the country.
“You have to refocus because the police are now capable of going after street peddlers. You have to concentrate on those at the higher levels,” he said at the Senate hearing on the budgets of the two agencies for 2019.
Bahala na ang mga pulis sa mga nagtutulak ng droga sa kalye; ang mga malalaking supplier ang atupagin ninyo.
Ito ang naging mensahe ni Senador Panfilo Lacson sa mga pinuno ng Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) at Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) sa pagdinig ng Senado sa panukalang gastusin ng dalawang ahensiya para sa susunod na taon.
Si Lacson ang chairman ng sub-committee ng Senate Committee on Finance na nagsagawa ng pagdinig sa panukalang gastusin ng mga naturang ahensiya para sa taong 2019.
Sen. Lacson chairs the Senate hearing for the 2019 budgets of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Dangerous Drugs Board. Video courtesy: Senate of the Philippines.
In an interview, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– mulitbillion-peso wastage of taxpayers’ money due to RROW issues
– need for government to shift focus to the economy
– possible food crisis
– on Pagcor action on PH offshore gambling operations
– recent bombings
In an interview on DWIZ, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– the Isulan bombing and Senate Bill 1956 (Anti-Terrorism Act of 2018)
– pork in the proposed 2019 national budget
– need for government to shift its attention to the economy
– President Duterte’s recent strong statements against possible abuses by China
– timetable of Senate relocation
Hindi tamang kondenahin at agad na batikusin ang mga pulis na humuli sa tatlong abogado na naabutan ng mga ito sa loob ng nilusob na bar na pinaghihinalaang ginagawang lugar para sa transaksiyon sa mga ipinagbabawal na gamot sa Makati City.
Ito ang naging mensahe ni Senador at Senate Committee on Public Order and Illegal Drugs Chairman Panfilo Lacson sa mga nauna nang nagbigay ng kanilang opinyon, bago maglabasan ang ilang video sa naturang pangyayari.
Sa mga video kasi na naglabasan, makikitang natameme ang tatlong abogado na nasa loob ng bar, bagama’t tumangging ibigay ang mga pangalan, nang tanungin ng isa sa mga miyembro ng raiding team kung sino ang ikinakatawan ng mga ito.