Malacañang cannot suspend arrest warrant on Lacson— spokesman

Malacanang will not suspend the arrest warrant issued against fugitive senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson because it does not have the jurisdiction to do so, a Palace spokesman said Monday. In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Operations head Sonny Coloma said Malacanang cannot act on the request of Lacson's family to suspend the arrest warrant on the senator. Coloma said the authority to suspend the warrant against Lacson rests on the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 18 which issued the arrest order last February. "There is already a court that has assumed jurisdiction over his case, that is the regional trial court of Manila. Kung ano po mga options na hinihiling na i-consider, ang makapagpasya lang po dito ay ang court mismo (Only the court can decide on the options that are being asked for consideration)," said Coloma. "No person is above the law, and any person under the jurisidiction of the court must submit to such jurisdiction and follow its lawful orders," he said. Lacson's son on Sunday issued a statement asking President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III to suspend the arrest warrant against Lacson and reinvestigate the killings of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito, in which the fugitive senator is a primary suspect. "We are not asking the Aquino administration to absolve my father. We would just like to ask for the suspension of the warrant against him while the case is being reinvestigated," said the senator's son Ronald Jay Lacson in a statement. No authority to void arrest warrant Legal sources earlier interviewed by GMANews.TV said a president can neither void a standing arrest warrant nor reverse a court order. Only higher courts such as the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court can overturn the ruling. The Manila RTC Branch 18 already rejected last month the appeal of Lacson camp to revoke the the arrest warrant and reinvestigate the Dacer-Corbito double murder case. Coloma said Malacanang will not interfere in the workings of the courts. "Under our principle of separation of powers, hindi po karapat-dapat na manghimasok ang executive department sa jurisdiction ng ating judiciary including the court. Kaya idirect na lang nila ang kanilang kahilingan sa ating judiciary (It's not proper for the executive department to interfere with the jurisdiction of the judiciary. They should direct their appeal to the judiciary)," he said. Likewise, he said the Palace is standing by the Department of Foreign Affairs' move to cancel Lacson's diplomatic and regular passports because it was done to implement the order of the court. "We are honoring these legal processes, we are honoring the order of the court, and so if there are certain departments like the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice that are following this order then we stand by their acts to follow the court order," said Coloma. Separation of powers Citing the separation of powers of the executive and legislative branches, Coloma likewise said it will let the Senate decide on Senator Gringo Honasan's proposal to place Lacson under Senate custody. "The Senate is a collegial body that also has a separate function under our system of laws," he says. Coloma reiterated the Palace's earlier assurance that Lacson will get a fair treatment under the Aquino administration if he returns to the country. Lacson is accused of masterminding the abduction and killing of Dacer and Corbito on November 24, 2000. At the time, Lacson headed the Philippine National Police and the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force, the unit that allegedly carried out the twin murders. He fled the country on January 5, 2010, two days before the Department of Justice, then headed by Agnes Devanadera, filed two counts of murder against him before the Manila RTC Branch 18. A month later, on February 5, the court issued an arrest warrant against Lacson. Lacson has denied masterminding the crime, insisting that he was a victim of political harrassment under the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo whom he was critical of. The National Bureau of Investigation had said the fugitive senator was allegedly last seen in Rome, Italy. –VVP, GMANews. TV