NBI raids suspected Lacson hideout in QC

(Updated 11:49 p.m.) Panfilo Lacson was nowhere in sight when a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) team raided a warehouse in Quezon City at 4:30 p.m. Friday on suspicion it was the fugitive senator’s hideout, according to a radio dzBB report. The warehouse owned by Star Paper Corp. is located in a four-hectare compound in Grace Village, Barangay Balingasa. NBI Deputy Director Roel Lasala said they had subjected the place to a month-long surveillance operation due to sightings in the vicinity of vehicles linked to Lacson.
Carrying high-powered firearms, the NBI's National Capital Region (NCR) team raided the warehouse together with the NBI Intelligence Service and the NBI Counter-Terrorism Unit. Star Paper owner, Sebastian Chua, strongly denied the senator had been hiding out in the warehouse. He said the compound was last visited in 2004 by Lacson, who continues to elude government efforts to arrest him for involvement in the Dacer-Corbito double murder case. Chua however admitted being a compadre of Lacson, having helped the senator’s past election campaigns, but they have not been in touch of late and even had a falling-out. "We are not on talking terms," the warehouse owner added. The NBI said that although they did not catch the senator, himself a famed police officer and crime-fighter noted for his no-nonsense handling of criminal syndicates in the 1990s, they will pursue various leads and eventually get him. AFP intelligence support for PNP Also on Friday, the Armed Forces said it is assisting in the search for Lacson, who went into hiding last January when a court issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with the killing of publicist Bubby Dacer and his driver 10 years ago. “Inasmuch as there are warrants for the arrest of Sen. Lacson, the Armed Forces will be in support to the Philippine National Police," AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta said in a Camp Aguinaldo press briefing. Specifically, Mabanta said the military’s intelligence community will be tapped to monitor developments on the incident. “We will be tasking our intelligence (units) to further step up monitoring of incidents or data regarding (him), that will lead to the eventual arrest of Sen. Lacson, all in support to the Philippine National Police," added Mabanta. Lacson’s camp had asked the Court of Appeals to quash the arrest warrant issued by a Manila court but the CA denied this. Lacson has said he would only come out when justice is rightly served. “If there is a warrant, it’s automatic that we play a part (in serving the warrant)," said Mabanta. Mabanta said the military was not even certain if Lacson is indeed in the Philippines as previous media reports had indicated. “Actually, actually we do not have any data right now as to... his whereabouts. As what I said, we have to step up our intelligence collection efforts in support to the PNP task of apprehending Sen. Lacson," he said. —Jun Verzola/MRT, GMANews.TV