Lacson a no-show at Kuratong Mass

Sen. Panfilo Lacson failed to show up yesterday at a thanksgiving Mass for the dismissal of the 1995 Kuratong Baleleng murder case against him and 33 other policemen.

A staff of Lacson, who asked not be named, said the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief was called to an emergency meeting of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) party.

Lacson’s staff said the Mass was held at St. Andrew’s, a chapel of the Eastern Catholic Church at Trinity College in Quezon City.

Roman Catholic priests refused to celebrate the thanksgiving Mass, he added.

Chief Superintendent Francisco Zubia, one of those accused with Lacson in the murder case, said he and the 32 others would have wanted the Mass to be held in a Roman Catholic church because most of them are Roman Catholics.

"I can’t understand why the Roman Catholic Church is behaving like this," he said.

"We have been faithful with our faith, and yet we have priests who are preaching love, peace, understanding, reconciliation and forgiveness, but (don’t) seem to know how to practice them."— Pia Lee-Brago