Ping: 'I had only one rule: Don't get caught'

MANILA, Philippines - Senator Panfilo Lacson said today that while he was in hiding, his only rule was not to get caught as he was “made to suffer the crime I did not commit.”

Lacson made the statement as he faced the public, through the media, for the first time after more than a year in hiding.

It was also the first time Lacson set foot at the Senate's building in Pasay City. He made the statement inside the Recto Laurel room on the second floor of the upper chamber's building.

Before reading his statement, Lacson thanked the media for not bothering him during the weekend while he was making up for the lost times with his family.

He said the weekend with his family "felt like Christmas in March" as he said it was the best experience he had since he left the country on January 5, 2010.

He left the country two days before an arrest warrant was issued by a Manila court for two counts of murder filed against him in connection with the kidnapping and killings of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito.

"Every single day that I was underground, the crucible stared each time I opened my eyes. I lived a life of a prisoner outside a prison cell. The only difference from one who suffers in confinement is that, I could on my own will, navigate my movements using the best of my instinctive compass... I had only one rule to follow: do not get caught," Lacson said.

He added: “I was made to suffer the crime I did not commit."

Lacson resurfaced before noon on Saturday at the Mactan Cebu International Airport where he disembarked from a commercial flight from Hong Kong.

Passengers of Cathay Pacific flight CX 921 that arrived at the Mactan Airport from Hong Kong at 11:42 a.m. said Lacson had taken a window seat.

The Aviation Security Group said Lacson boarded a twin engine Baron-type aircraft with tail number RPC 2711 in Cebu bound for Manila at about 4:30 p.m. and arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at 6:30 p.m.

It was not clear where he had been since his disappearance in January last year. There had been reports that Lacson had never left the country.

Lacson returned to the country after the Court of Appeals (CA) voided the arrest warrant issued against him.

After the appellate dismissed the charges filed against the senator, the International Police dropped his name from its red list.

No help from P-Noy

Lacson told reporters during the press conference that during the 13 months that he was away, he never felt the presence of the current administration.

He said he received no help at all from his friends in the current administration. In fact, he even felt "the prosecution never stop even after a new administration took over the reigns of power."

Lacson would not say where he was holed up in the past 13 months. He said he was constantly moving and "a host" gave him a safehouse, where he cooked his own food and washed his own dishes.

"Kung pagod ka sa paglilinis ng bahay, pagod ka sa hugas ng plato, maaga ako nakakatulog," the senator said.

He added that someone was with him at the safehouse and when he comes out, which, he said was very frequent, he is escorted by a group of people.

Lacson said that in some occasions, he felt that some people spotted him. He said that in one instance, a person even asked to take a photograph with him.

"Kapag may nakakita at tumingin, yuko ka na lang. I know mayroong mga nakakilala sa akin. Mayroon ngang gusto pang magpa-picture," he said.

He said that while he was out, he used his "instinctive compass to the hilt" to avoid being caught by agents looking for him.

He added he also tries to look up news about him through the internet while he was in hiding.

SC appeal

Demetrio Custodio, lawyer of Carina Dacer, said they will petition the Supreme Court (SC) to review the CA ruling next week.

“We are filing a petition for review at the Supreme Court to reverse the Court of Appeals resolution,” Custodio said in a television interview after Lacson’s press conference.

At the press conference, Lacson said that he will accept the SC’s ruling in case the high court favors the camp of the Dacers.

“If and when the SC rules against me or in their favor, then I will respect the decision of the Supreme Court,” he said.

Lacson declined to comment when asked if he had ill fillings toward Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, who refused to take back the arrest order against senator even after the CA released its ruling.

He said he has no plans yet to “retaliate” and said that he is now more “inclined to forgive and forget.”

Meanwhile, Lacson said that he welcomes proposals for the Department of Justice’s to conduct a reinvestigation of the Dacer-Corbito murders.

“If there is a new evidence, I would welcome it. But if they will just recycle it, I think hindi sila papayagan ng DOJ,” the senator said.