Ping’s camp counters with its own stickers

There is now a battle of stickers between the supporters and critics of Sen. Panfilo Lacson, reminiscent of the "slanted exclamation point" stickers of the silent protest movement against Joseph Estrada during the twilight of his presidency.

Two days ago, a group launched a movement calling for the resignation of Lacson from the Senate, and punctuated their demand with stickers saying "Lacson Resign" and "Expel Lacson."

The group launched the move following charges that Lacson was involved in drug trafficking, kidnapping and summary executions of suspected criminals when he was still chief of the Philippine National Police and of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force.

Yesterday, the supporters of Lacson countered by coming out with their own stickers saying "We Love Ping" and "Yes to Ping." A member of Lacson’s staff, Jane Rivero, said they did not know who printed the stickers.

"They just arrived in the office," she said.

The stickers were distributed in the Senate media room by a freelance photographer.

When asked why he was distributing the pro-Lacson stickers, he replied in jest: "Kailangan ko ng pera (I need the money)."

A number of reporters ignored the stickers while some grabbed them. The janitors and media assistants were agog over the stickers.

One, called "Manang" by reporters, asked for as many as are available.

"I will distribute them to my friends in Payatas," she said, while volunteering that Lacson has a lot of followers in the squatters’ colony in Quezon City.

Earlier, Senate President Franklin Drilon said that the Senate is divided because of Lacson, saying the division is "reflective of the division of the nation."

He, however, said that the Senate could not possibly act to expel Lacson because there is no pending case against him before the ethics committee. Drilon pointed out that the investigation by three Senate committees is in aid of legislation and is not meant to determine the guilt or innocence of anybody.

Meanwhile, Sen. Rodolfo Biazon scored yesterday certain sectors for calling on the soldiers to take the lead in the fight against narco-politics.

"Civil society’s declaration of war is a clear manifestation of the growing dominance of the political dimensions of the accusations against Senator Lacson as against the criminal aspect of the investigation," Biazon said.

He said that while he is willing to join the move against narco-politics, he is alarmed at the call for the military to take the lead role.

"If the soldiers will be drawn to this call, they might go beyond their mandate of protecting the people and the state and instead assume power," Biazon warned.