Ping denies raps PACC officials were involved in kidnapping cases

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Panfilo Lacson downplayed allegations by a Hong Kong anti-narcotics deep penetration agent that several police officers of the defunct Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC) were involved in kidnap-for-ransom activities in the guise of anti-drug operations.

Lacson lashed back at his detractors, saying he is not surprised that these issues surfaced now that he has reached his first year in office.

"This is clearly a demolition job. You should know it when you see one," said the PNP chief, refusing to comment further on the issue.

Lacson said he would rather keep quiet until "specific charges" are filed in the courts.

Lacson’s accuser, identified only as "Mata Hari," told selected reporters in Nueva Ecija that several police officials of the defunct PACC had summarily executed suspected criminals during the time of then Vice President Joseph Estrada.

During the PACC days, the woman claimed that some suspected members of the Hong-Kong Triad, the 14-K group, engaged in the drug trade were killed in a similar fashion.

Suspected Chinese drug traffickers who were arrested were kept for weeks in safehouses where they were tortured to identify other members of the syndicate, the woman said.

She told reporters that these drug traffickers were also forced to pinpoint locations where substantial amounts of illegal drugs were kept.

If they refuse to cooperate, most of the Chinese drug traffickers ended up as kidnap victims because their families and relatives in Hong Kong were contacted for ransom payments, the agent said.

When pressed for identities of the persons behind the demolition job against him, Lacson pointed to his rivals Superintendent Reynaldo Berroya, retired Philippine Constabulary Col. Billy Bibit and former Intelligence Group head chief Superintendent Rodolfo Garcia.

"Issues similar to these surfaced when I was implicated in the Kuratong Baleleng rub-out. People behind this one are very capable of this (demolition job)," he said.