GMA denies orchestrating case vs Lacson

President Arroyo denied yesterday allegations that Malacañang is behind the petition filed by government prosecutors before the Supreme Court seeking the reversal of a lower court decision to dismiss the Kuratong Baleleng multiple murder case against independent presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

Mrs. Arroyo, during a press conference at the Pines Hills Hotel in Bukidnon, replied with a curt "no" to questions related to Lacson’s earlier accusation that she was trying to revive the Kuratong case against him to derail his bid for the presidency.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye, in a radio interview, took exception to Lacson’s allegations against the President.

"This is a matter of procedure only. There are processes that the Department of Justice (DOJ) think must still be undertaken (in the Kuratong case)," he said.

"That’s the call of the DOJ and the President does not interfere in this case of Lacson," Bunye added.

Government prosecutors earlier filed a petition for certiorari asking the high tribunal to nullify Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Theresa Yadao’s orders junking the charges against Lacson and 33 other respondents and declare her as lacking in jurisdiction to try the case.

The government prosecutors also sought to transfer the case to a family court as two of the victims were minors.

Lacson was head of Task Force Habagat of the defunct Presidential Anti-Crime Commission in May 1995 when 11 members of the notorious Kuratong Baleleng gang were shot dead along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City while under police custody.

The government lawyers said the evidence presented by the prosecution were overwhelming enough to show probable cause and merit the issuance of arrest warrants against the respondents.

Bunye also slammed Lacson for trying to revive the controversy surrounding the President’s husband, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.

He fumed over Lacson’s claim that Victoria Toh, Mr. Arroyo’s private secretary who was also implicated in the controversy, has supposedly returned to the country.

"These things that Lacson are saying are nothing but old music. We all know that when he raised them at the Senate, he did not present any concrete evidence," Bunye said.

Lacson, in a privilege speech he made in August last year, accused Mr. Arroyo of laundering money through secret bank accounts under the alias "Jose Pidal."

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, chaired by Sen. Joker Arroyo, decided to stop the Pidal probe "after Lacson failed to share with his colleagues his proof, documented findings and written testimonies of witnesses."

Bunye pointed out that even after cashing in on the media mileage generated by the controversy, Lacson’s "rating" in the election surveys did not go up.

"These things are part of the political season," he said.

Michael Defensor, Mrs. Arroyo’s official campaign spokesman, chided Lacson for telling voters during his campaign sorties that he will send the First Gentleman to jail if he wins in the May polls.

"That’s (an) unfair action if he wants to send Jose Pidal to jail without first filing appropriate charges in court," he told The STAR. "Because it would seem to use once he is put into power, he will install his dictatorship."

Defensor expressed dismay that Lacson had based his victory on sending someone to jail.

"His winning the (presidential elections) should not be the condition but the truth and fairness of the charges," he said.

Defensor also lashed out at Lacson for insinuating that his younger sister, re-electionist Quezon City Rep. Maite Defensor, received money from Malacañang. Lacson earlier claimed that a congresswoman from Quezon City was among those who received P3 million from the Department of Agriculture (DA) as "fertilizer" assistance.

"I hope Lacson should go beyond press releases... My sister never made any such request to the DA for the release of any amounts," he said, adding that Lacson "should be more specific so as not to unnecessarily cause hurt, especially for Maite, who is taking care of her sick baby who just had a heart operation."

Defensor challenged Lacson to at least file charges and at "the maximum, to prove his accusations."