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Lacson out of the country - Enrile


Wondering why Senator Panfilo Lacson has been missing in action amid the heated debates on the C5 road controversy, an issue he himself exposed against presidential aspirant Sen. Manuel Villar? He is out of the country, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile told reporters Monday. "He [Lacson] wrote me a letter asking that he cannot attend the session in the meantime because he is abroad. I do not know where he is," Enrile said. Lacson has not been attending sessions since January 18, when Congress resumed session after the holiday break. On Monday, Lacson's committee - ways and means - had a scheduled hearing, but the proceeding was presided by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri. In a privilege speech last September 15, 2009, Lacson implicated Villar in an alleged P200-million "congressional insertion" for a road project in the 2008 budget. He said many of the insertions are "hidden" in lump sum items with vague descriptions. In Australia? In an earlier interview, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said he heard that Lacson is in Australia. Enrile said Lacson has a travel authority but he does know when it will lapse. "He had a travel authority initially but as far as the additional time, he has no travel authority and he will be marked absent... I cannot remember (when the travel authority will lapse)," he said. Enrile refused to answer reporters' queries on when Lacson wrote him a letter as well as the reason behind Lacson's travel. Enrile's office also turned down requests for a copy of Lacson's letter be distributed to the media. Lacson is facing double murder charges in connection with the death of publicist Salvador 'Bubby' Dacer and driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000. As of posting, the calls and text messages to the mobile phone of Lacson were not answered. - RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV

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