Did Ping harbor a criminal?

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Panfilo Lacson could face criminal charges for harboring a fugitive, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said yesterday.

Gonzalez pointed out Lacson had hired Reynaldo Lopez Oximoso as his driver, the same person who has an outstanding warrant of arrest for multiple murder. Oximoso reportedly drove the vehicle where the supposed conversation regarding the hit on publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer took place.

Gonzalez said Lacson had admitted hiring Oximoso as his driver, who issued a statement claiming that he does not remember former police superintendent Cesar Mancao or former senior superintendent Glenn Dumlao riding in the car.

Gonzalez noted Lacson had failed to mention Oximoso has a standing warrant of arrest for multiple murder.

Lacson headed the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) with Aquino as his chief of operations, and Mancao and Dumlao as deputies.

National Bureau of Investigation Deputy Director Reynaldo Esmeralda gave a copy of the warrant of arrest for Oximoso to The STAR.

Esmeralda said the warrant was issued on April 22, 1993 by Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 103 Judge Jaime Salazar.

Oximoso had been linked to the killings of Emmanuel Calderon, Allan Tamayo, Francisco Balanguit and Roberto Tumbang on Feb. 17, 1984, in Quezon City.

Esmeralda said the warrant, last verified on March 16, 2009, remains outstanding and has not been served.

“Why did Lacson hire Oxi as his personal driver when he has an outstanding warrant? Lacson cannot say that he did not know of the warrant, being the (Philippine National Police) chief (at that time), he would be very careful in getting people, specifically a driver under his employ without running a background check on this person,” Esmeralda stresses.

Gonzalez, on the other hand, said the issue of Lacson hiring a fugitive is a serious issue that needs to be studied.

“Senator Lacson has many things to think about and the hiring of Oximoso in the PAOCTF and this could be one of them,” Gonzalez said.

In his affidavit, Mancao mentioned Oximoso, alias Oxi, as the driver of the vehicle where he overheard Lacson ordering Aquino to hit Dacer.

Mancao said he was in the front seat next to driver Oximoso.

Lacson and former police superintendent Michael Ray Aquino sat in the back when the orders to get Dacer and former police general Reynaldo Berroya were given.

According to Mancao, they were on their way to a restaurant for lunch when he overheard Lacson giving the supposed hit order.

Gonzalez stressed Oximoso should come out and tell the truth or face the charges of multiple murder.

Gonzalez feared Oximoso would end up as a silent witness.

The STAR initially released the report in which Mancao pointed to Lacson as having given the hit order.

The Mancao affidavit also mentioned the name “bigote,” apparently referring to former president Joseph Estrada, but sources pointed such assumption is hearsay.

Aquino referred to “bigote” twice when he said that he was already irritated and that the special operation was already cleared with Malacañang.

Gonzalez reiterated the statement of Oximoso would corroborate the statements made by Mancao.

Lacson, for his part, repeatedly denied the allegations that he ordered the assassination of Dacer and driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000.

Lacson accused Malacañang of being behind the efforts to discredit him ahead of the 2010 elections.

Lacson’s camp expressed confidence they could hurdle “all the dirt” thrown at them by Malacañang.

Lacson had claimed Mancao earlier sent him a text message claiming he was being pressured by military intelligence chief Brig. Gen. Romeo Prestoza to implicate him in the Dacer-Corbito murders.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, a veteran lawyer, expressed his view that the text messages could be used as good material for cross-examination of Mancao.

“A good cross examiner will pin him down. Why did you send those texts? What was the purpose? Are you assuring him that you know something against him that you will not reveal or are you assuring him that you know nothing and that you will not fabricate? Those are proper materials for cross examination,” Enrile said. –With Christina Mendez, Non-Alquitran