Sunday, September 21, 2003

Ping Lacson is Back in the Philippines

Yup. Sen. Lacson is back… and the Arroyo Brothers should be worried. According to the anti-Lacson Phil. Daily Inquirer -- the senator "sneaked" back into the Philippines via Cebu raw.

Yeah right. "Sneaky"... SNEAKY like a FOX! ;)

But here's Max Soliven, who has a different take on Lacson's arrival, and why it was a good idea to skip NAIA:

Sneaky? Or would you call it clever? Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, probably expecting a more than warm reception at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), returned from weeks in the United States last Friday in an unexpected manner.

Lacson flew from Hong Kong direct to Cebu's Mactan International Airport aboard a Cebu Pacific Airways flight. Then he took a private plane from Cebu to Manila - already logged in as a local flight.

Cebu, of course, is a safe haven for the former Philippine National Police Director General. Ping has legions of fans in Cebu - he is an idol "adopted son" down south in that Visayan queen city. As police Metrodiscom commander in Cebu, he made that metropolis and its surroundings a 100 percent "kidnap free" zone by a spectacular feat. When a boy, the scion of a very prominent family, was abducted, Lacson and his cops quickly tracked the gang down to the Bluewater beach resort and went in guns blazing, rescuing the kid unharmed and wiping out the kidnappers. Thus, the "kill the kidnapper" legend of Lacson was born - and for years Cebu was immune to the escalating national pandemic of kidnap-for-ransom.

Lacson had in tow two American agents, who were described as belonging to "Interpol". Sources from inside his camp alleged that he had brought back "original documents", not copies of documents, implicating you-know-who, and the American agents were ready to authenticate their being genuine. Why "Interpol" agents would do this, especially since the Ruling Family could be irritated can only be left to speculation. The best way is to await the "bombshell" Lacson is supposedly planning to explode in the Senate tomorrow or a day or two later. Will he get that opportunity? Will the "bomb" really splatter a few guts all over the sidewalk, or will it prove to be a dud? Abangan.

In truth, Lacson is racing against the clock, and against the calendar. As was reported a few days ago in this corner, a "warrant of arrest" for Lacson has already been drawn up - but still undated - in connection with the old Kuratong Baleleng "wipe-out" case which was resurrected by the Supreme Court. Will Ping be blocked on his way to the Senate - or can he deliver his promised "blockbuster"?

If he manages to do so, it's a safe bet he will immediately disappear. In what direction? Possibly, they'll soon be hunting him with enthusiasm possibly in the same manner they're always claiming they are closing in on al-Ghozi.


With the way Malacanang is behaving lately, who knows? Lacson certainly doesn't want to end up like Ninoy Aquino on the NAIA tarmac, if you know what I mean.

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