Lacson, Barbers lock horns over launder probe

Sen. Panfilo Lacson locked horns with Sen. Robert Barbers yesterday over an ongoing investigation into a $750-million overseas account allegedly owned by the former national police chief.

A fuming Lacson accused Barbers, whose committee is leading the probe, of conniving with Justice Secretary Hernando Perez and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Reynaldo Wycoco in trying to pin him down on money laundering charges.

Earlier, Perez and Wycoco announced they will be able to secure documents from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation certifying the existence of Lacson’s accounts in the US, Canada and Washington. Lacson said Perez and Wycoco were pursuing a non-existent account, and are probably after the money so they can "partake of the loot."

"If the accounts exist, they can divide whatever millions they find," he said in Tagalog. "They can even give Barbers his share."

Barbers is the chairman of the Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs looking into the "dirty money" allegations earlier hurled by intelligence chief Victor Corpus against Lacson.

The senator said he was surprised by Lacson’s reaction, saying he no longer communicates with Perez and Wycoco over the case against his colleague.

He also took offense with the statements made by the former police chief, as well as the apparent discourtesy of addressing him as simply "Barbers."

Barbers said such a reaction is not fitting for someone in public office.

His committee, along with the Senate Blue Ribbon and the defense and security committees, started the probe into Corpus’ allegations in August last year.

The senator explained that his committee has been fair, even giving Lacson’s chief of staff a chance to testify in one of the hearing’s upon the request of Lacson.

Barbers advised his colleague not to be so easily rattled and not to take matters personally.

Meanwhile, Wycoco denied the NBI was conducting a hatchet job on Lacson.

"The NBI does not concern itself with political matters... We are here to do an important job, not to destroy character," he said. – With Mike Frialde