Lacson dares detractors to file charges in court

LEGAZPI CITY — Opposition senatorial candidate Panfilo Lacson challenged Arroyo administration campaign strategists yesterday to file charges against him in court instead of sullying his reputation through the media.

In a radio broadcast in Bicol, the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief said the Arroyo administration intends to demolish him and eight other Puwersa ng Masa (PM) senatorial candidates to ensure the victory of the People Power Coalition.

"I think they are obsessed with a 13-0 win so they are doing everything to destroy us," he said.

Lacson said he has documents to prove that Arroyo administration strategists have mounted a demolition job known as "Oplan Lucky 9" to use the media to sow black propaganda against him and other PM coalition candidates.

"The series of baseless media reports linking me to the disappearance of PR man Bubby Dacer and the abduction of a certain Angelito Sy are all part of Oplan Lucky 9," he said.

Lacson said media specialist Conrado "Dodie" Limcaoco and psy-war expert Pastor "Boy" Saycon are behind the sinister plot to destroy his reputation and that of his partymates.

"An informant from the People Power Coalition furnished me a copy of Oplan Lucky 9 which contained the code names of eight opposition senatorial bets and one incumbent senator as well as the negative issues that will be raised against them through the mass media," he said.

Lacson said he was labeled "Priority 2" and given the code name "The Super Cop;" former first Lady Luisa "Loi" Ejercito Estrada, "Priority 2," "The Doctor;" former Agriculture Secretary Edgardo Angara, "Priority 3," "The Farmer;" former Press Secretary Ricardo "Dong" Puno, "Priority 4," "The Pressman;" Sen. Gregorio Honasan, "Priority 5," "Ramboy;" Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, "Priority 6," "Martial Law;" Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, "Priority 7," "Tiger Lady;" and former Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado, "Priority 8," "Defense Chief."

Quoting a highly-reliable informant, Lacson said Limcaoco, the liaison of former President Corazon Aquino and Archbishop of Manila Jaime Cardinal Sin with the united opposition, arranged a meeting of anti-Estrada groups at a hotel in Ortigas Center in Pasig City last February 23.

"It was during this meeting that the plan to launch a black propaganda and disinformation campaign against eight senatorial candidates and one incumbent senator was hatched," he said. "Funding for the media will be released a week before the start of the first issue."

Lacson said the meeting was attended by Saycon, a convenor of the Council on Philippine Affairs (COPA); acting PNP chief Deputy Director General Leandro Mendoza; and Honey Girl Singson-de Leon, chairman of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, and sister of Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson.

"Five issues will be used by Limcaoco’s group to demolish me in the media," he said. "These are kidnappings, bank robberies, salvaging, PNP fund anomaly, and PNP Foundation fund anomaly."

On Mendoza’s involvement in the demolition job against him, Lacson said the "dirty tricks department" is headed by a police superintendent who is closely identified with the acting PNP chief.

"In fact, the office of this police superintendent is just beside the office of General Mendoza," he said.

Lacson said the same police officer was behind the series of anti-foreign terrorist raids in 1996 which ended in the exposé of Abu Sayyaf leader Edwin Angeles regarding the planting of evidence against suspected terrorists.

"The exposé of Edwin Angeles at the time was aimed at demolishing then Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan III, whose hands-on supervision of the PNP caused resentment among top PNP officials," he said.

Quoting reports from Camp Crame, Lacson said the personalities engaged in the smear campaign against him are the same police officers who tried to demolish him when he headed Task Force "Habagat" of the defunct Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, and until he became chief of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force, and later PNP chief.

"We have closely watched the various newspaper reports linking me to the Dacer case and we found out that unattibuted reports were planted by the special operations group in Camp Crame," he said.