Lacson: Kuratong Baleleng remnants behind crimes in MM

MANILA, Philippines - The remnants of Kuratong Baleleng gang are behind the latest crime waves in Metro Manila, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said on Thursday.

Lacson made the revelation a day after the Supreme Court upheld the decision of a Court of Appeals dismissing the case against him and a number of his men then under the defunct Task Force Habagat.

“Patay na talaga sila. Maraming remnants. Ang daring robbery holdup sa mga malls, ito ang remnants, ang tinatawag na Ozamiz Group, nabansagang KB kasi ang pinagmulan nito si Ongcoy Parojinog,” Lacson said.

Parojinog Group has been tagged in the daring bank robberies in the late 1990s.

Lacson, former police chief, identified the remnants as the Ozamiz Group.  The Ozamiz Group was recently tagged in the series of pawnshop robberies and bank hold-up incidents in the metropolis.

“Di ganyan ang notoriety pero mga remnants, mga reengade ng KB, ngayon ang pagkakilala sa kanila, Ozamiz Group,” the senator said.

“Di ito matapos kasi may mga galamay kung saan nagre-recruit ng bago, at sila naghahasik ng kriminalidad sa NCR (National Capital Region) at elsewhere, maski sa outlying provinces like Cavite, Batangas. Ganoon ang style, putok agad, tamaan sino tamaan bago sila gumawa ng pag-holdup,” Lacson said.

Asked about the setback brought about by the KB controversy in his career, Lacson lamented that the PNP’s big accomplishments against crime then were overshadowed by the KB case.

“Kasama sa profession, kasama sa trabaho namin yan. Ang frustrations on account of big accomplishments na magiging dahilan pa ng ikasira ng aming reputation at ma-distract kami,” Lacson said. “Dahil magastos magkakaso dahil abogado di pwede patay-patay dahil matatalo ka sa kaso.”

Speaking openly about the KB case before the media, Lacson added that the attack against him and his men was meant to derail the presidential bid of then Vice President Joseph Estrada, who also headed the defunct Presidential Anti-Crime Commission. 

Lacson indicated that he will be meeting with his former men at the defunct Task Force Habagat and hold a thanksgiving mass for the Supreme Court decision. The KB case had made the ties strong among Lacson and his former subordinates, except former police colonel Cezar Mancao who has turned his back against him when the latter accused him in connection with the Dacer-Corbito case in 2000.

Lacson also accused former House Speaker Jose de Venecia as behind the political attack. 

“Si JDV ang kalaban, pero sila sa admin, so sa kanila ang poder at sa kanila ang impluwensya. So I would say ‘yung mga kasamahan nila nagfa-fan ng apoy para hindi mamatay ang kaso,”  Lacson said.

As Estrada’s closest allies, Lacson said he was privy to information targeting Estrada then.

Lacson said he got his information on de Venecia from one of his trusted police officials, the late Gen. Jewel Canson.

“I have no proof to show na may kinalaman si JDV mismo. But I was told by the late Gen. Canson, because he was one of the accused, sinabi niya sa akin may kinausap siya taga kampo ni Speaker JDV, ang gagawin niya lang ituro ako dahil ang hope e sana ako magturo kay Erap kung sakaling maipit ako nang husto,” he said.

 “Hanggang doon lang. Hindi niya binanggit sino kausap niya mismo except for the info sa kampo na siya ang sugo ni JDV. Alam ko sila yung nagpupursigi para malagay sa alanganin ang candidacy noon ni VP Estrada,” he added.  

Lacson also revealed for the first time in public a supposed offer from the camp of ex-President Gloria Arroyo to run as her running mate in the 2004 elections, which he turned down.  That was when his problems with the Arroyos start to pile up.

“They may deny this. When I was chief (of) PNP… at one point I was offered through a common friend. I was offered to be the possible vice presidential candidate of (GMA)."

Prior to this, Lacson said he was offered an ambassadorial post shortly after ex-President Estrada was ousted from office in 2001. 

“She was then VP. And then after the January 2001 EDSA-2 revolution, I was invited by the then presumptive Executive Secretary Renato de Villa and I was offered an ambassadorial post. I didn’t even bother to look at the short list,” he said.

“That was my first taste of frustration with Mrs. Arroyo because two to three days after, nasa headline I was sacked,” Lacson said.

The second frustration came after he won his first term as senator when he was invited to a private dinner at Arroyo’s ancestral home, he said.

“Nagkaroon kami ng quiet private dinner. At ang usapan nga, basta walang nag-imbita walang makakaalam. And two to three days later, I saw Sec. (Rigoberto) Tiglao mentioning to media that I requested to be invited. So ‘yan ang strike two. So tingin ko talaga, walang kwentang kausap. And that was the start of a miserable life of Sen. Lacson which lasted for nine years,” Lacson said.

Lacson had his exposes against the Arroyos, among them the Jose Pidal accounts of former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo. 

Asked if he is ready to forgive the former president, Lacson said he forgives but never forgets.  “Para di ako ma-plagiarism, ito sinabi ni Kennedy: forgive your enemies but don’t forget their names. So I will never forget that name Arroyo,” Lacson said.