Enrile: Lacson requests his office be reopened

If it's any indication that he might finally surface after more than a year of hiding, Senator Panfilo Lacson has requested that his office at the Senate building in Pasay City be reopened. On Thursday, no less than Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile disclosed that he was approached by a staff of Lacson to relay the fugitive senator's request. "I do not know when he (Lacson) will come back but there was a request from his staff. So I assume that he's about ready to come back," Enrile told reporters on the sidelines of the day's Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on the alleged military fund scam. Enrile said he would discuss the matter with Senate Secretary Emma Lirio-Reyes. The Senate chief, however, did not identify Lacson's staff who relayed the fugitive senator's request. Early last year, Lacson left for Hong Kong even before a Regional Trial Court in Manila could issue an arrest warrant against him in connection with the twin killings of publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emannuel Corbito in November 2000. But last Monday, the Court of Appeals ruled with finality that the arrest warrants should be nullified, a ruling the Department of Justice (DOJ) said it would honor. INTERPOL The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) has already taken Lacson's name off its red notice list on the request of the National Bureau of Investigation. The red notice list requires INTERPOL-member countries to notify the Philippines if ever Lacson is spotted. Lacson's lawyer, Alex Poblador, earlier said that if the (DOJ) would respect the CA's latest ruling, the fugitive senator may already surface. In October last year, the Senate suspended the salary and office budget of Lacson at least until he can "resume" performing his duties. Based on the memorandum approved by Enrile, personnel under Lacson's office were placed under the control and supervision of the Senate secretary. The services of consultants of the Lacson's office were suspended as well. Jinggoy misses Ping Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada said he would "welcome" Lacson once the latter finally resumes his legislative work. "He still has a moral obligation to work as a senator... At isa pa, nami-miss ko na siya (And besides, I already miss him)," he said. In a privilege speech in 2009, Lacson indicated that Estrada’s father, former President Joseph Estrada, may have had something to do with the deaths of Dacer and Corbito. The younger Estrada then delivered a counter-privilege speech, belying Lacson's allegation and accusing the former chief of the National Police of being behind the November 2000 incident. — RSJ/KBK, GMA News