Gonzalez threatens Lacson with extradition

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez warned yesterday that he would pave the way for the extradition of re-electionist Sen. Panfilo Lacson to the United States by providing US authorities with evidence of the senator’s alleged espionage activities in the US.

Gonzalez made the threat in response to Lacson’s filing of a criminal case with the Ombudsman against the DOJ Secretary for alleged violation of the ant-corrupt practices law and the Revised Penal Code.

Gonzalez said he had asked the US District Attorney’s Office in New Jersey to indict Lacson for colluding with Michael Ray Aquino and former Federal Bureau of Investigation intelligence analyst Leandro Aragoncillo in connection with their alleged espionage activities in the US.

Aquino, a former Lacson protege, and Aragoncillo are detained in the US for espionage charges.

Once Lacson is indicted, Gonzalez said he could now ask the Philippine courts to order the extradition of Lacson to the US. Espionage, the DOJ chief said, is an extraditable offense.

But Gonzalez said his effort had nothing to do with Lacson’s filing of the Ombudsman case.

"It has something to do with his being a co-conspirator in that espionage case because I have documents to show his participation. He should worry more about that," the justice secretary said.

The Ombudsman case stemmed from Gonzalez’s admission of dangling P10,000 to every village chief in Iloilo City who could deliver a 12-0 win for Team Unity bets in the May 14 elections.

Lacson’s graft case against him, Gonzalez said, was purely political.

"Well, I’m not the one charged with the Kuratong Baleleng and the murder of Bobby Dacer," Gonzalez said.

He was referring to the alleged rubout of members of a kidnap-for-ransom gang by Lacson’s men in 1995 and the murder of publicist Bobby Dacer late in 2000. Lacson was then the chief of police anti-crime unit Task Force Habagat under the Ramos administration in the first case and later head of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force formed by former President Joseph Estrada.

At Malacañang, Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio said they were confident Gonzalaz would be able to weather through the legal case against him.

"We’re confident Secretary Gonzalez will be able to answer and acquit himself of the charges filed against him," Claudio said. "He knows the law and there was at no time any intent to break it."

"There was no intention on his part to be of disrespect to election law," he said.