US lawyer claims he has evidence to prove Lacson has dollar accounts

Copies of at least five checks drawn in the name of Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s wife were presented yesterday by the lawyer of a businesswoman, who sued Lacson in a California court over a failed $15-million handcuffs deal.

The documents were meant to prove that the former Philippine National Police chief maintained a dollar account abroad.

Rodel Rodis, lawyer of Filipino-American Blanquita Perez who failed to get the contract to supply the PNP with 41,297 pairs of handcuff in 1998, said the Bank of America checks worth at least $200,000 were issued between December 2000 and June 2001.

"This account of Alice Deferio Lacson is a joint account with Panfilo Lacson," he said.

However, Lacson said there was nothing new to the supposed revelations of Rodis that his wife, Alice, has a dollar bank account in the US.

"In fact, I was the one who confirmed the existence of Mrs. Lacson’s dollar account in the US," he said.

In a statement, Lacson said he made the confirmation when Sen. Noli de Castro interpelated him after he delivered a privileged speech on his supposed $750-million bank deposits before the Senate in June last year.

"The December 2000 check for $50,000 was issued as payment for a Toyota Sequioa bought by a family friend who owns a car exchange in the Philippines," he said.

Lacson said the check was "not funded on time," returned to the bank and replaced by another check bearing the same amount in March 2001.

"The two other checks, both issued in June 2001, were issued for transactions made by Mrs. Lacson in her personal capacity," he said.

Lacson said he does not maintain any active account, real estate or any other asset in the US or anywhere else in the world.

"My offer still stands: If they can find any, they can have it," he said.

Documents presented to media by Rodis showed six checks issued in the name of Alice Lacson to two individuals, the Orient Light Freight International Inc., and Longo, Toyota.

Two checks, each in the amount of $50,000, were issued on Dec. 3 and 27, 2000 as payment to Longo, Toyota, while two more checks, dated March 15 and 16, 2001, were paid to Orient Freight International Inc.

Two other checks amounting to $10,000 and $5,000 were issued on Jan. 2 and 5, 2001.

Rodis, who is to return to the United States today, said he would ask the court in California to subpoena the records of Lacson’s bank accounts in the US so these could be presented in court before March 5.

"I hope (Lacson) would not take steps to try and stop us from being able to get evidence," he said. "We are asking for the records for the past five years. We have some information on bank accounts in Bank of America and Union Bank, we understand a number of them has closed already."

Rodis said he will invoke before the court California’s law on community property, which provides that assets obtained during the marriage is considered community property.

"California is a community property state, therefore any asset of one is presumed to be the asset of another," he said. "The account of one spouse is considered to be the joint account of the other. We believe that there are more accounts."

Rodis said Lacson is being tried under American law, contrary to the claim of Sigfried Fortun, Lacson’s lawyer, that the California court has no jurisdiction over the case.

"If Lacson fails to appear before the March 5 deadline, set by the California court, he will be held for contempt of court," he said.

Rodis said Lacson will likely be arrested when he "sets his foot" on American soil, unlike in the case of Manila Rep. Markl Jimenez who was extradited to the US after Christmas last year.