PHILIPPINE NEWS SERVICE — A NATIONWIDE federation of socio-civic organizations yesterday called for an all-out investigation of all senators accused or suspected of wrongdoing even before they were elected to prove the chamber’s impartiality in the pursuit of truth.
The 50,000-strong Crusade for a Better Philippines emphasized that if there are to be no limits on the probe against Sen. Manny Villar, then the same should apply to other senators.
Crusade Chairman Michael Say cited as an example Senate Ethics Committee Chair Panfilo Lacson who has been accused of heinous crimes even before he was elected as a senator.
Say noted that Lacson is accused, among others, of being the brains behind the Dacer-Corbito double murder case.
Say said the accusations were made by no less than Lacson’s trusted former military aide Cesar Mancao and members of the Dacer Family.
“There is also the suspicious transfer of 300,000 shares of the controversial BW shares to Sen. Lacson when he was still with the PNP, and the source of his wealth despite his being a modestly-paid military man all his life.
“But not one senator has called for the probe of Mr. Lacson, even though double murder is a capital crime and the possibility of plunder is present,” Say said.
Say said as Ethics Committee chair, it is Lacson who should first submit himself to a probe to prove that he has the moral ascendancy to investigate possible wrongdoing of his peers.
“If they want a no-limits probe, then there should be no exception, not even Mr. Lacson as Ethics Committee chair,” Say added.