Ping says he wants to reconcile with Erap

MANILA, Philippines - Let bygones be bygones.

Almost three years have passed since Sen. Panfilo Lacson and former President Joseph Estrada engaged in a heated word war and went their separate ways.

Now Lacson has mellowed and wants to end his squabble with his old friend and former superior.

Interviewed by reporters at the Senate yesterday, the senator from Cavite said that he has been reminiscing about his good times with the former president and is now yearning to reconcile with him.

“This is my initiative. I said I want to make peace with him. After all, we went through a lot together. He was vice president in 1992. It’s about time that we set aside whatever animosities there were between us,” Lacson said in Filipino.

He admitted that whenever he sees Estrada on television he would have flashbacks about their times together, recalling that they were together since the former president’s early days as vice president to his rise to the presidency.

Lacson said that he was with Estrada when an assassination attempt was carried out in Sto. Tomas, Batangas.

He was also head of the Task Force Habagat of the now defunct Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, which was headed by Estrada when he was vice president.

When Estrada became president, he promoted Lacson to the highest post of the Philippine National Police.

“I said that I want to make peace with him. If there is an opportunity, sooner or later I would like to talk to him,” he said.

The rift between them started in 2009 when the former leader was asked about the Dacer-Corbito double murder case during a campaign sortie.

Estrada reportedly told the reporters to ask Lacson because he is the one who knows about the case, which irked the latter.

“I was peeved. He insinuated that I had something to do with the case when I had nothing to do with it,” Lacson said. 

Lacson responded with a series of privilege speeches delivered at the Senate, accusing Estrada of being involved in the murders of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito, of benefiting from jueteng operations and smuggling activities. – With Jose Rodel Clapano

“He could have just denied it on his own. Why did he have to point to other people? He knew that this issue brought me so much trouble,” Lacson said.

No need for ‘bridge’

Estrada’s son, Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, has reportedly said that he is willing to set up a meeting between the two to pave the way for reconciliation.

Lacson said that he has no problem with this as long as he is available outside of his duties as a senator-judge in the impeachment trial and his other duties as senator.

“It’s my initiative. I want to make peace with him. If there is an opportunity then we don’t have to plan this. If there is an occasion or if someone sets it up then that’s fine too,” he said.

But the elder Estrada said he does not need a “bridge” and he and Lacson can “directly” talk to prevent another “misinterpretation” between the two of them.

The younger Estrada said that he and Lacson are talking with each other and he has already forgotten about the sour incident three years ago between Lacson and his father.

Jinggoy said he has no target date yet.

The former president said he is open to meeting Lacson “anytime, whenever he wants, anywhere or any place.”