PANFILO M. LACSON By Amado P. Macasaet | May 06, 2014 He would not, in conscience, accept for 12 years (that’s two senatorial terms) the annual P200 million pork barrel money. But Panfilo M. Lacson, a two-term senator, did not have a word, good or bad about his colleagues accepting what is defined in US politics as a reward for political patronage called pork barrel. Now that it appears three of his former colleagues are said to have been dirtied by the misuse of the pork barrel for their personal benefit and not for the public good as is the supposed objective, nobody ever heard Lacson say “I told you so.” He probably suspected how the taxpayers’ money was spent the way Janet Lim Napoles is said to have done. Events showed Lacson never wanted pork barrel for reasons he did not have to tell anyone but himself. From what I know of the man, Lacson simply believed that one of the duties of the Congress is to enact laws, never to appropriate unto law makers government funds for their own benefit as it seems to be in the case of the plunder charges filed against three of his peers, a larger number from the House of Representatives, Janet Lim Napoles and several others as identified by whistle blowers. Lacson never expected plaudits for not accepting the pork barrel money. A few of his peers jeered at him for being a “hypocrite” in refusing to accept the pork. He did what he thought was his job as lawmaker. He ended up as “fugitive” who evaded arrest for the “crime” of being the brains behind the death or killing of publicist Bubby Dacer. He was implicated as the brains of what appears to be wanton murder by one of his own men in the defunct Philippine Anti-Crime Organization Force in the presidency of Joseph Estrada. The court set Lacson free of the charges lodged by his accuser, Col. Cesar Mancao who failed to substantiate his charges. Mancao is hardly seen these days. He would not repeat his charges he said he heard Lacson’s order to liquidate Dacer. Mancao did all these in expectation of the reward of the promise of a certain Col. Prestosa that his rank would be reinstated and that his family would be allowed to live in Singapore. He admitted all these. Lacson denounced then First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo as Jose Pidal who was keeping a huge account in a bank. Lacson was never careless about his exposes. The Senate committee investigating Lacson’s charges was coming close to proving that the signature of Jose Pidal was actually that of Arroyo. Lacson appeared to be tightening the vise around Arroyo’s neck, but the then First Gentleman had to be saved in the most questionable of ways. Suddenly, his younger brother Ignacio Arroyo, claimed he was Jose Pidal. Without comparing his signature with that of his older brother. the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee suspended the inquiry never to resume again. The charges against Lacson by Mancao was a clear case or a powerful man exposed by Lacson trying to even up a score. The story here is Lacson’s peers succeeded in blocking his duty of exposing fraud. The story here is the lesson that practical politicians have long learned from stepping on the toes of a powerful man. Lacson did not learn that lesson. He stepped on the man’s toes. He paid dearly for it but stood his ground. None of these has anything to do with Lacson’s refusal to have a cent of the pork barrel. This is the story of an old warrior like Panfilo Lacson who does not appear to fear any one. Neither would he lend himself to the fraud of spending taxpayers’ money disguised as pork barrel. The long and short of Lacson saying a few more lawmakers are involved in the scam but he would not reveal their names is the reality borne by his own record that he is not a pot; so he can call the kettle black and be credible. Simplicity and humility, apart from dedication to duty with incomparable honesty are the virtues the man would not talk about himself. He clearly believes he should not judge himself. Lacson is President Aquino’s rehabilitation czar principally in restoring to normalcy the lives of the widows and orphans of Yolanda. But why does he operate out of posh Global City in Fort Bonifacio? Because in the first few weeks after he was appointed, he was not given an office, a defined salary and, most important of all, a staff. He now has all of those. But why pick a building in Global City where rentals hit the roof? This lavishness does not sit with his simple ways. I heard his friend offered Lacson an entire floor of a new building. It is said the government is not paying rent. Maybe because the budget of his office does not provide for it. Maybe the government has awakened to it and is now paying the rent for his office. Self-satisfaction is Panfilo Lacson’s reward, not words of praise for how clean he was and continues to be. Why crow about something one is supposed to be in the first place? When he was PNP chief, he ordered the purchase of handcuffs on condition the importer would pay the tax. The fine looking lady importer with an even finer looking daughter refused to pay the tax. I do not know if the tax was eventually paid according to the terms of the agreement between the supplier and the importer. I had my own experience with Lacson. Knowing him personally before he became a senator, I asked him to facilitate the issuance of a gun license. He told me to my face I should first attend a seminar about gun ownership and getting a license to carry. I complied. No short cuts for me, specially from him. - See more at: malaya.ph/business-news/opinion/panfilo-m-lacson#sthash.GwGpfzr7.ujGffiWN.dpuf
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 01:36:40 +0000