There will be no Senate investigation on the alleged corruption in the Philippine National Police (PNP) unless Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who made the allegation, comes out of hiding, senators said Thursday. “[A Senate probe] would be a problem [without Lacson] because other than that, what can you investigate on? Maybe we can call the PNP chief. If they deny it, then that’s it," said Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, chairman of the blue ribbon committee. Guingona’s committee is currently investigating the controversial plea bargaining agreement reached between the Office of the Ombudsman and Carlos Garcia, a former military comptroller accused of plunder. Lacson has been in hiding since January 2010 after he was implicated in the Dacer-Corbito double murder case. He has yet to come out despite the Court of Appeals decision dropping the case against him, due to different legal opinions on the status of the warrant issued by the court for his arrest. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Lacson bared a P40-million "commander's reserve" at the exclusive disposal of the PNP chief, a position he held from November 1999 to January 2001. He said his monthly gas allowance during that time was equivalent to the consumption of 50 vehicles or more, even if they are allowed to run 24 hours a day. He also claimed being "presented" with a high credit card limit, with the information that he could use it both for personal and official purposes. Lacson however noted that he was “never interested" and never availed of any of these allegedly irregular privileges, adding that he also did not receive send-off money when he retired from service. Resolution first Guingona said a resolution calling for the inquiry must be filed first before his committee can initiate the investigation. “Number one, I need a resolution. Number two, even if there is a resolution, we will end first this chapter on military corruption para may katapusan naman (so there will be closure) before we go to another issue," he said. Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago said an inquiry will be pointless without Lacson, whom she described as an “expert witness" on the alleged anomaly during his term as PNP chief from November 1999 to January 2001. “We need a whistle-blower, an actual eyewitness... If you don’t have that, it’s all just talk because you cannot prove anything," Santiago said. She said Lacson’s pronouncements must be “presumed" as true because he claimed to have experienced firsthand being offered millions of pesos in payoffs. “He is the former PNP chief. Therefore we will presume that he is correct. He was actually there and he was offered also a send-off present," she said. Santiago asked Lacson — or anyone who has information about his allegation — to come out and assist in the inquiry.
Evidence For his part, Sen. Gregorio Honasan said the alleged corruption in the PNP deserves a congressional inquiry and asked Lacson, his classmate at the Philippine Military Academy (class 1971), to support his allegations with evidence. “Public interest demands that Congress consider very seriously an inquiry into this if warranted. [But] Congress cannot just react on the allegations of any single person," Honasan told reporters. He added that the inquiry should not unnecessarily “burden" officials or agencies that may be involved in the probe. “Names have to be mentioned, followed up quickly by supporting evidence so that we will not burden the personalities who will be mentioned and the institution that will be affected," he said.
“Commander’s reserve" Honasan said that based on information that he has, the type of fund Lacson was referring to was technically not a slush fund as in the case of the alleged corrupt practice in the military, but a “commander's reserve." He also said that Lacson’s statements imply that the PNP director general can either use the fund for his personal purposes or for the improvement of police operations. “Sen. Lacson allegedly, based on his statement, used this for the operations of the PNP. The other implication is if he chose to use this for operations, does this mean that the other heads of the PNP did not?" Honasan asked. Honasan nevertheless agreed that the Senate will have a difficult time squeezing in another probe without as yet finishing its investigation on alleged military corruption, given the number of days left before the Senate adjourns its session next month.
Palace: Ready to order probe In a related development, Malacañang on Thursday expressed readiness to order an investigation on the alleged “pabaon" system in the PNP should anyone come out to confirm it. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte told reporters that allegations of a “pabaon system" in the PNP are different from the case of the AFP where former military budget officer Lt. Col. George Rabusa is able to stand as witness. “This [PNP allegation] is different as in the case of pabaon in the AFP, where you have a witness saying
na ako po ‘yung nandito, ito po ‘yung nangyari [I was there, this is what happened] — at least you have parameters to work with," Valte said. “In the PNP,
titingnan po natin kung meron din pong lalabas na ganitong klase ng information para po matulungan doon sa pag-iimbestiga [we will see if anyone will emerge with this kind of information, so we can help in the investigation]," she added.
Friday’s hearing Meanwhile, the blue ribbon committee will resume on Friday its investigation on the plea bargaining agreement between Garcia and government prosecutors. Guingona said they have invited more than 30 witnesses and resource persons for the hearing. Among those invited were former Armed Forces chiefs Roy Cimatu, Diomedio Villanueva, and Efren Abu; Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin; incumbent AFP chief Ricardo David Jr.; and former congressman Prospero Pichay. Cimatu was among the former AFP chiefs accused of receiving send-off money while Pichay allegedly received P500,000 every time he visited the AFP when he was still a congressman. Guingona said they are about to conclude their investigation.
— With Amita O. Legaspi/KBK/JV, GMA News 
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