Palace: Evidence vs Lacson on US accounts forthcom

Written and official confirmations of the alleged overseas bank accounts of Sen. Panfilo Lacson are forthcoming, contrary to claims that the government cannot substantiate its charges against him, Malacañang said yesterday.

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez gave the assurance yesterday as opposition senators sought the termination of the ongoing probe on the charges against Lacson because of the apparent lack of evidence to pin down the neophyte lawmaker.

Golez said it only appears that the Department of Justice (DOJ), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Intelligence Services of the Armed For-ces of the Philippines (ISAFP) have no substantial evidence against Lacson.

The three agencies cannot help but give that impression because they cannot reveal certain aspects of their investigations, Golez said. He also mentioned "minor procedural difficulties."

"We should look at the substance of the accusation and not look at the (legal) process. (For example,) the ISAFP and NBI cannot fully divulge the persons they are coordinating with," Golez said.

"They are not going to divulge procedures and their (standard operating procedures) which, to a certain extent, we consider confidential," he added.

However, he said the fact that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has verbally confirmed at least one secret bank account in the US is already a big factor in establishing Lacson’s alleged links with international drug syndicates.

"I think we should focus on the account because that is a more decisive element because if there is an account, it speaks for itself. (If) there is an existing account, in my opinion, that is very decisive," he said.

Golez defended the three agencies’ ongoing probe on Lacson even as public criticism mounted on the continued absence of evidence to substantiate their claims although they have presented two witnesses.

During a Senate hearing on Thursday, Indian national Danny Devnani corroborated the charges of ISAFP chief Col. Victor Corpus against Lacson and even implicated deposed President Joseph Estrada, his son Jinggoy and his crony, suspected gambling lord Charlie "Atong" Ang.

Devnani, according to Ombudsman Aniano Desierto, is a potential witness in the plunder case against Estrada and his revelations may serve as "leads" on the alleged criminal activities of Estrada and his son and cronies.

Estrada, however, denied the charges and instructed his lawyer, Cleofe Verzola, to incorporate all the revelations Corpus and his witnesses would make before the Senate and incorporate them into the libel case Estrada is set to file next week.

"All these things that Corpus is doing right now are serving the interest of the Estradas because we can have additional evidence he is concocting stories that will make the libel case against him strong," she said.

But Desierto claims that while the revelations may be "sweeping," they may be pursued for the purpose of gathering evidence against Estrada.

Estrada is now being tried for plunder before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan for allegedly amassing more than P4 billion in ill-gotten wealth.

"From what we have heard during the Senate hearing, the statements made were still sweeping general statements. Therefore, these should be detailed so we can have leads for the purpose of gathering evidence," the deposed leader said.

Desierto said he has formed a fact-finding bureau to coordinate with the ISAFP and asked the team to look into the allegations by Corpus and former police agent Angelo Mawanay on Lacson’s illegal wealth.

However, Desierto cited the importance of "personal knowledge" in the assessments of the credibility of a prosecution witness.

"We will look into (Devnani’s) personal knowledge. It should be personal knowledge. Anyway, after the Senate testimony of Mr. Devnani, we will also use him for the purpose of evidence gathering," he said.

The Ombudsman will also look into Devnani’s allegations that Senior Superintendent Ricardo Dapat, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region, was involved in various criminal activities.

"It is automatic for us to also investigate those who are in government. Let us give the Senate a chance to ferret out all the details or personal knowledge of Mr. Devnani," he said.

Meanwhile, the labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) urged the government to provide protection to Devnani who, the group said, should be taken seriously.

KMU chairman and Bayan Muna Rep. Crispin Beltran said Devnani’s exposés should be taken seriously because he could bolster the government’s case against Estrada although Devnani has so far revealed "nothing new."

"If the Senate is sincere in its projections that it wants to get to the truth, they should give support to all measures that will assist Devnani in proving his accusations against Lacson," Beltran said.

Beltran also hoped the Senate hearing against Lacson would result in the immediate filing of criminal charges against the neophyte senator.

"The hearings have arrived at the point when the testimonies, documentary evidence and the allegations against Lacson have begun to gel together," Beltran said.

In a related development, Desierto said his office is still studying whether it has jurisdiction over the arbitrary detention complaint filed by Mawanay against eight senators who detained him last weekend after he failed to substantiate charges against Senators Loren Legarda and Noli de Castro.

"If it was a collective act of the Senate, then we do not have jurisdiction because of the independence of the institution that is the Senate," he said.

But he stressed that if the detention order was a result of individual acts and violated the law, the Ombudsman would have jurisdiction to investigate the senators.

"Illegal detention, for example, must be proven. After we have determined the jurisdiction, we need to know if illegal detention was committed," Desierto said. — With Sandy Araneta, Jose Rodel Clapano