Senate sabong between Ping and Jinggoy digs up the past

(Update 7:14 p.m.) In response to fellow senator Panfilo Lacson's tirade on Tuesday against Joseph Estrada, the former president's son, Senator Jinggoy Estrada hit back by questioning Lacson's character, accusing him of betraying the man who "plucked (Lacson) from obscurity." Estrada, who is Senate President Pro Tempore, called Lacson an "opportunist" who exploits people to advance his self-interest and who is plotting to divide the opposition. "Is he now showing his true color as an administration man masquerading as part of the opposition?" the younger Estrada said. "He was instrumental in dividing the opposition in 2004 even if he knew he would take away votes from [the late presidential candidate] Fernando Poe Jr," he added. Poe came in a close second to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the 2004 presidential polls. Amid allegations of cheating, Mrs. Arroyo was declared president, and Poe passed away December of that year. Taking the floor after Estrada's speech, Lacson dug up dirt from an even more distant past as a way of denying that the elder Estrada had "plucked him from obscurity." "It is inaccurate. We first met when he was still mayor in 1973 when I arrested him after mauling the late Rudy Fernandez," he said. For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV 'Can we trust Yuchengco?' Estrada, the former president's eldest son by his wife and former senator Luisa "Loi" Estrada, also sought to undermine the credibility of business tycoon Alfonso T. Yuchengco, who today corroborated Lacson's allegation that former President Estrada coerced his family to sell its sizable PLDT shares. "How can we trust the word of someone who was the first beneficiary of GMA's peace bonds?" Estrada asked, referring to Yuchengco's RCBC Capital which underwrote the controversial fund-raising program for poverty alleviation. Lacson had accused Estrada of harassing Yuchengco and his family, to the point of physical threats by the police, so that Manual Pangilinan's Metro Pacific could buy into PLDT via the Yuchengco shares. In his impeachment hearings in the Senate in 2001, former President Estrada was charged with colluding with Pangilinan after receiving pay-offs from the latter. In her book Getting a Dial Tone: Telecommunications Liberalisation in Malaysia and the Philippines, Singapore-based scholar Lorraine Carlos Salazar describes the deal that resulted in the takeover of the nation's leading telecommunications firm. Senator Estrada's privilege speech came a day after Lacson, in his own privilege speech, accused Estrada of utilizing his influence as president of the Philippines to connive with jueteng lords and smugglers of poultry and rice, among others. Estrada questioned the motives of Lacson for the "vicious and savage assault" on his father, saying it is either related to the upcoming elections or to the murder trial for the killing of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver. 'Why only now?' "Ngayon lang ba nagsasalita dahil papalapit na ang eleskyon at may iba siyang kandidato sa pagkapangulo?" he asked. "Mr. Lacson in desperation is now using the Senate floor to divert attention to Estrada and away from his forthcoming non-bailable murder charge that will be filed against him," the young Estrada added. Lacson earlier backed out of the presidential race shortly after Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao II – a suspect in the Dacer-Corbito double murder case – returned from the US, where he fled along with two other suspects after being implicated in the high-profile case. Lacson claimed he was withdrawing from the race not because of the reopening of the murder case but because of the financial demands of launching a nationwide campaign. The senator, who became chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) during Estrada’s term, said the deposed president had micro-managed the bureaucracy during his presidency, giving "direct orders" to agencies including the PNP and the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force, then headed by Lacson. But in his speech, Sen. Estrada maintained that his father, as the 13th president, handpicked public officials “with honor and integrity," like former Health Secretary Alfredo Romualdez, former Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma and former Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno. All three former Cabinet officials were present in the session hall during Estrada’s speech. The senator said these ex-officials of the Estrada administration would have instantly rejected corrupt acts carried out during the deposed president’s tenure. “If Mr. Lacson was indeed so repulsed by President Estrada’s policies and behavior when he was president, why did he [Lacson] not resign right there and then?" Sen. Estrada said, adding that resigning would have been the “honorable and logical course of action." Sen. Estrada recalled how his father became pivotal in Lacson’s rise from obscurity as Laguna provincial police director. Lacson was introduced to then President Estrada through retired Gen. Reynaldo Berroya, the young Estrada said. “Mr. Lacson, by his own admission, openly acknowledged that President Estrada’s personal recommendation earned him in 1994 his first star rank, way ahead of his peers and senior officers," Sen. Estrada said. In what also seemed like a swipe at President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Sen. Estrada likened Lacson to the present administration for hurling what he considered unfounded allegations. “I always thought that lying has been the hallmark and the trademark of the present administration. It is however contagious and sadly, it has also now reached the walls of this chamber," Estrada said. Estrada claimed to have obtained a statement released by Mancao’s lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, saying that evidence obtained so far only point to Lacson as the brain behind the double slays. “Based on the evidence so far adduced in court by my client… the only direct evidence with respect to the mastermind in the Dacer-Corbito double-murder case pertains to Senator Panfilo Lacson," Topacio said in the statement as read by Estrada. The younger Estrada also quoted Topacio as saying that his [Jinggoy’s] father’s participation in the crime was “at best sketchy thus far." The Senate President Pro Tempore said his family is not afraid of anyone who is an expert in silencing his enemies. “Nalalaman ko Ginoong Lacson na ninanais mong idawit si Pangulong Estrada sa iba pang bagay. Ngunit ako ay nakahandang magsiwalat ng iba pang katotohanan tungkol sa iyong tunay na pagkatao. At nalalaman namin na ang katotohanan ang siyang magpapalaya sa amin," Estrada said. Before ending his speech, Estrada vowed to spill more beans against Lacson’s “true identity." Lacson stands up After the speech, Lacson tried to interpellate Estrada but the latter declined. “I’m sorry but I do not want to engage Mr Lacson in a tussle of words because this is just in defense of the honor of President Estrada. You will deliver your own privilege speech next week and I will follow it up with another privilege speech," the younger Estrada said. Lacson then just issued clarificatory statements on the floor. Lacson emphasized that he "never lied" and his accusations were even affirmed by Yuchengco, deputy National Security Adviser Luis "Chavit" Singson, and Energy Sec. Angelo Reyes. Singson was Ilocos Sur governor and Reyes was Armed Forces chief of staff during Estrada's term. "I would like to emphasize that I never lied in my privilege speech and I can say it without mental reservation and it was confirmed no less than by three people I mentioned in my speech that I did not lie. And if I did not lie and somebody's saying I lied, then who's lying now?" Lacson said. Lacson also defended his decision to stay with the Estrada administration despite knowing the alleged anomalies surrounding the presidency. He claimed that as somebody who was on the right path he saw no need to resign because "it should be the other way around," meaning that Estrada should have been the one to resign at that time. The senator from Cavite also denied having allies with the administration party. "That is farthest from the truth, that will never happen, even in my wildest imagination." In a separate radio interview, Topacio clarified that he was not vindicating Estrada as he was merely reiterating the contents of Mancao's affidavit. He said he issued his personal opinion last night after Lacson's speech raised speculations that it could be used to file charges against former President Estrada. "Hindi po puwedeng gamitin ‘yun ebidensya per se sa DOJ o hukuman…‘yung mga testimonya ni Mancao at affidavit ay walang direct evidence against Estrada. Ang meron lang pong direct evidence ay laban kay Sen. Lacson," Topacio said. The former president ranks high in recent public opinion surveys, even as lawyers of the Dacer family are poised to include him in the Dacer-Corbito murder charges. Should the complaint be amended to include Estrada, he and Lacson will ironically find themselves together again, former allies, now enemies, and possible future co-defendants in the celebrated double murder case. - GMANews.TV