Lacson not in Australia - NBI

As calls mount for Senator Panfilo Lacson to return to the country and face the double murder charges against him, the National Bureau of Investigation said the opposition senator is not in Australia as earlier reported. "According to our intelligence counterparts in Australia, Senator Lacson is not there. I’m confirming that," NBI counter-terrorism division head Ricardo Diaz told GMANews.TV in a phone interview. Asked whether Lacson was still in Hong Kong, Diaz refused to disclose other information they have gathered on the senator’s whereabouts. It was Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. who said that based on what he learned, Lacson was in Australia. At the Senate, another colleague called on Lacson to come home and personally attend to the murder charges in connection with the November 2000 killing of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and driver Emmanuel Corbito. "Ganyan talaga ang buhay mo kapag ika'y pulitiko, kung minsan natatalisod ka pero at least kailangan pag natalisod ka, bumangon ka, harapin mo yung problema at sagutin mo kung kailangang sumagot, kung kaya mong sagutin. Kung hindi mo kayang sagutin tumakbo ka, lumipad ka. Parang sisiw na lilipad at hindi natin alam kung saan dadapo," Enrile told reporters during the weekly Senate forum. Enrile said he would advise Lacson to come home and face the problem "but unfortunately, I have no communication with Ping Lacson. I never talked to him by phone, or by letter. I just received a letter." 'Evil conspiracy On Tuesday, Lacson admitted fleeing the country because the Department of Justice and Malacañang have hatched an “evil conspiracy" against him – an allegation that both parties have denied. "As I had correctly suspected, the harassment by the DOJ upon the order of Malacañang will never stop. That's exactly the reason why I left the country... For now, my concern is my own personal safety and security... I am not guilty but I cannot risk putting my life and security at the mercy of that evil conspiracy," Lacson said in a statement issued to the media. [See: Lacson flees RP to escape Arroyo ‘harassment’] Lacson, who maintained that his flight was not an indication of guilt, did not disclose his location. The DOJ and the Bureau of Immigration have confirmed that Lacson flew to Hong Kong last January 5, two days before he was slapped with double murder charges in connection with the Dacer-Corbito killings. Once a warrant of arrest is issued, Lacson cannot invoke parliamentary immunity since the penalty (of the charge against him) is more than six years. Article 6, Section 11 of the 1987 Constitution states that: "A senator or member of the House of Representatives shall, in all offenses punishable by not more than six years imprisonment, be privileged from arrest while the Congress is in session. No Member shall be questioned nor be held liable in any other place for any speech or debate in the Congress or in any committee thereof." Entitled to privileges But Enrile assured that even if Lacson gets arrested, he will still be entitled to the privileges of a senator. "Kung si Senator (Antonio IV) Trillanes nandun sa kulungan, he is entitled to all the privileges of a senator except to attend the sessions, to answer the roll call, we will do the same thing as far as Ping Lacson is concerned," Enrile said. A former Navy officer, Trillanes remains detained at the PNP Custodial Center facing various cases in connection with the 2003 Oakwood mutiny and the 2007 standoff at the Hotel Peninsula in Makati City. When Enrile was asked whether he feels responsible in bringing back Lacson to the country, the veteran lawmaker said: "No, it is not my responsibility. Each senator is a free agent, I did not elect them. The people elected them. I am just a Senate President." he said. "Administratively, I handle the administration of the office but I have no control over the members of the Senate, I cannot tell them what to do or what not to do," Enrile said. - RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV