‘Lacson kidnap raps resolved by yearend’

They will be resolved soon.

The pending kidnap for ransom cases filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against Sen. Panfilo Lacson before the Office of the Ombudsman may be resolved before the year ends.

Assistant Ombudsman Ernesto Nocos, speaking on behalf of Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo, said the cases filed before their office in 2001 were already disposed of in June, while cases filed in 2002 have been on Marcelo’s desk and up for review since the first week of July.

"These (Lacson’s) cases will be resolved soon," Nocos said. "By the end of the year, all cases filed in 2002 will be disposed of, but only those which were forwarded (to) the office of Ombudsman Marcelo."

Nocos downplayed earlier insinuations by Overall Deputy Ombudsman Margarito Gervacio Jr. that the delay was caused by Marcelo.

Nocos made the forecast on the possible resolution of the Lacson cases because these suits were filed by the NBI in August 2002.

Gervacio cried foul Friday last week after House Deputy Speaker Raul Gonzalez accused him of sitting on the Lacson cases.

The Overall Deputy Ombudsman said he had acted upon the cases with dispatch and submitted his recommendation to Marcelo on March 29 for approval. Gervacio said Marcelo has yet to act on these recommendations.

"If there is any delay, then it’s attributable to Marcelo, not Gervacio. I submitted the report to him as early as March 29, while the administrative aspect (was) submitted last April," he said in an interview. "It is not the policy or practice of the Ombudsman to sit on cases."

Gervacio said it was unfair of Gonzalez, himself a former Tanodbayan (precursor of the Ombudsman), to accuse them of sleeping on the job. Gervacio said Gonzalez knows the intricacies of conducting a probe, especially in high-profile cases. He added that the Lacson cases were acted upon expeditiously.

Lacson has two pending lawsuits before the Ombudsman: The alleged kidnapping for ransom of Chinese nationals Zeng Jia Xuan, Hang Zen Quiao, Zheng Kang Pang, James Wong and Wang Kam Chong as alleged by Mary "Rosebud" Ong in her exposé against Lacson; and Lacson’s non-filing of his statement of assets and liabilities (SAL) for the years 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2000.

Lacson’s non-filing of his SAL is a violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (Republic Act 6713), which includes the non-disclosure of Lacson’s assets in 2001 and a perjury charge in 1996 for concealing some of his alleged properties.

Lacson was the head of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) during the time frame specified in the charges against him. He was later appointed chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) by then President Joseph Estrada. Lacson later ran for and won a seat in the Senate.

The charges against Lacson were filed by the NBI before the Office of the Ombudsman in August 2002.