Ping denies bribery allegations

Opposition presidential hopeful Sen. Panfilo Lacson described yesterday as a "smear job" allegations by a relative of Kuratong Baleleng gang members and a tabloid reporter that they were bribed into recanting their testimonies against him.

"This tale is another smear job against my person by administration people who want me jailed for a case that has already been dismissed thrice by the courts," he said.

"Even assuming that they were bribed, doesn’t it show that they are bad people for accepting bribes and then recanting their statements?" he asked.

Lacson, who was Philippine National Police chief during the Estrada administration, is facing possible arrest in connection with the revived Kuratong Baleleng case.

He admitted that one witness against him, former tabloid reporter Armando Capili asked for a passenger jeepney from him shortly after he retracted his testimony against him and scores of other police officers implicated in the Kuratong case. "But as Mr. Capili knows, I politely turned down his request. If I am (as) a bad person as what they want to portray me, Capili must have (been) dead by now. It’s a good thing that I remain God-fearing," he said.

For his part, former immigration commissioner Rufus Rodriguez, one of Lacson’s lawyers, said Capili’s and Kuratong members’ relative Myrna Abalora’s bribery "tales" are part of the administration-orchestrated black propaganda against his client.

"There is no logic to the allegation of bribery against then Chief Superintendent Lacson since he is merely an accessory and not a principal in the case, and he could have easily posted bail had the case prospered. Unfortunately, it did not because of the recantation of the principal witness, SPO2 Eduardo de los Reyes and SPO1 Corazon de la Cruz," he said.