Ombudsman urged to hasten probe of 2 cases vs Lacson

A ranking administration lawmaker called on the Ombudsman yesterday to act expeditiously on the two pending criminal charges filed against opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson since last year.

Deputy Speaker for Visayas Raul Gonzalez (Iloilo) claimed he has no idea why Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo and Deputy Ombudsman Margarito Gervacio have failed even to initiate preliminary investigation on the cases filed against the opposition senator.

Gonzalez claimed the Ombudsman has been sitting on the kidnap-for-ransom case of five Chinese nationals and murder of two other people; failing to declare statements of assets and liabilities, and perjury filed by the National Bureau of Investigation against Lacson in August 2002.

Gonzalez, a former Tanodbayan himself, said a preliminary investigation should be conducted within 10 days upon filing of the case.

He noted the Ombudsman has in its possession documents furnished by US Attorney General detailing Lacson’s supposed secret bank accounts and properties.

"Here is prima facie evidence presented to our government by no less than the US authorities, that Senator Lacson, during his incumbency in the PNP (as chief of the Philippine National Police) had indeed stashed away hidden wealth in secret American bank accounts," Gonzalez said.

"This bolsters the case that there may have been illicit funds which found (their) way to these accounts," he added.

The Iloilo lawmaker sent a letter reminding the Ombudsman of their "inaction" over the criminal cases.

"Kindly be advised that the inaction by your office of an important case such as this, involving a person who has announced his presidential candidacy may work injustice to the Filipino people as we face a crucial election 2004," Gonzalez said in his letter to the Ombudsman.

Gonzalez was joined by Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentebella who asked the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to investigate the senator’s bank accounts.

The documents included a detailed report of six US bank accounts supposedly held by Lacson and his wife with a total of $1.1 million deposits from 1996 to 2001.

The reports were prepared by Commissioner Miles Ehlrich, US Attorney General for the North District of California, with US Attorney David Shapiro and Criminal Division Chief Douglas Wilson.

The report was submitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2001 and last year under the RP-US Mutual Assistance Treaty.

"The submission from the US government shows Lacson already had substantial deposits stretching almost a decade back," Puentebella said. "We have to see if these represent only the tip of the iceberg."

Lacson’s supposed bank accounts, according to the documents submitted by the US Attorney General, included a Bank of America account no. 157478-00046 of no. 2305 Sea Island PL, Chula Vista, California, starting on July 24, 1996 with $3,364.21 and closed on Oct. 16, 1998, which for a period of two years and three months had total deposits and interests of $193, 619.92 with one single deposit of $170,000 on Oct. 22, 1996.

Another Bank of America account with no. 24306-01369, named under Lacson’s wife, Alice, with address at 14300 Terra Bella Unit 73, Panorama City, California, was also opened on Nov. 3, 2000 with an initial balance of $100 and with zero balance as of Aug. 8, 2001. The said account for eight months had total deposits and interest of $210,269.03 with two deposits of $100,000 each on Dec. 19, 2000 and March 14, 2001.

Bank of America account no. 24301-01390, also in the name of Alice Lacson on the same Panorama City branch opened on Nov. 3, 2000 with $9,900 and with ending balance of Oct. 8, 2001 of $653,983 with total deposits and interest earned for 11 months of $461,972.08.

Also, a Wells Fargo Bank account no. 201-575365 under the name of Orient Light, LLC, with a certain Robert Co and Alice Lacson as president and vice president, respectively, with an opening deposit of $1,000 on March 8, 2001 and succeeding deposits of $200,000 and $100,000.

Both congressmen said the documents also outlined the use of proceeds from the accounts to purchase various assets, including two Toyota Sequoia SUVs worth $50,000 each and a remittance of $100,000 sent by Lacson through PCIBank Aguirre Street, Makati City branch to his wife’s Bank of America Woodman Sherman branch.