Barbers hits back at Lacson

Sen. Robert Barbers lashed out yesterday at Sen. Panfilo Lacson for airing before the media "unfounded and baseless" charges against him.

"I was shocked!" Barbers said in a privileged speech, referring to Lacson’s statement that he get a share with Justice Secretary Hernando Perez and National Bureau of Investigation Director Reynaldo Wycoco out of any collections from Lacson’s alleged dollar deposits in the United States.

"Magkakakutsaba silang lahat (They are in cahoots with one another)!" Lacson said in a television interview.

Barbers said that he had never been involved in the affairs of the DOJ and the NBI and that he was concentrating solely on his work as a senator.

He also took a dig at Lacson for merely calling him "Barbers," and not "Senator Barbers." He recalled that Lacson had previously delivered a privileged speech after Sen. Renato Cayetano merely referred to him as "Lacson."

"Is there double standard here? Or is he merely forgetful?" Barbers asked.

Lacson had also charged that Barbers, as chairman of the Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs, was biased in favor of Perez during the investigation of allegations of Lacson’s involvement in illegal drugs and dollar salting.

Barbers said that while he granted some of Perez’s requests, he also granted the requests of Lacson, so he treated Perez and Lacson evenly.

He was obviously seething with anger when he quoted Lacson as saying over the television, referring to Perez and Wycoco: "Para silang hindi lalaki. Putak sila ng putak (They were not acting like men, they were cackling and cackling)."

"I am happy that he was not referring to me because I am all man!" he boomed.

He also took issue with Lacson’s statement that while he (Lacson) should not be onion-skinned, he had to speak when he was already subjected to so much beatings (Masyadong bugbog).

"Ano ba ang ginawa ko sa iyo na sobra na? Ano bang pambubugbog ang ginawa ko sa iyo? (What had I done to you that was excessive? Had I ever beaten you up)" Barbers protested. "I had never said any word to the media against Senator Lacson."

After Barbers’ privileged speech, Lacson stood up to say that he would not react so the Senate could proceed with its work. Barbers, however, brushed this aside.

"He could not speak because he could not deny what I said. Everything that I said was well documented," he said.

At the same time, he said he is leaving it up to Senate Majority Leader Loren Legarda on whether his speech against Lacson should be referred to the Senate committee on ethics. — Efren Danao