Cancellation of Lacson passport eyed

MANILA, Philippines – The justice and the foreign affairs departments will be discussing the possibility fo cancelling the passport held by fugitive Senator Panfilo Lacson, who fled the country in January to evade a warrant of arrest against him over the November 2000 murders of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima offered assurances that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will intensify its manhunt for Lacson in compliance with orders from Judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina of Manila regional trial court Branch 18, for the agency and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to do everything to bring the senator back to stand trial.

“That is being considered…We can take it up with the DFA,” De Lima replied when asked if she would push for the cancellation of Lacson’s passport, which the prosecution had earlier asked the country to do.

The prosecution cited Section 8 (b) of Republic Act No. 8239 or the Philippine Passport Act of 1996), which allows the cancellation of a passport when its holder is a fugitive from justice, and Section 2 (c), Article 9 of DFA Order No. 11-97 providing for the cancellation of a passport upon lawful order of the court to hold the departure of an applicant because of a pending criminal case.

Lacson argued that only the DFA can issue, deny the application for, restrict and cancel passports and that the department order cited by the NBI only laid down the grounds for denying an application for, and not cancelling, as passport.

Instead of granting the prosecution’s motion, Medina issued her order to the NBI and DFA to bring Lacson back.

“He (Lacson) must be pursued. We are looking for him. The NBI has intensified its efforts to go after him,” De Lima said, adding the senator should confront the charges.

She said Lacson cannot claim political prosecution for what “is basically a criminal case, it’s a common crime, its not a political offense, so he is either part of it or not. The political persecution is another story that is with the previous administration because he happens to expose…anomalies, but insofar as the Aquino administration is concerned we don’t care about those other cases. He should confront the charges, he should present his evidence.  He should be able to substantiate whatever defenses he has in connection with that double-murder case it’s a criminal case, not at all a political case.”