Cancellation of Lacson’s passport known in 10 days

Aug 20, 2010

MANILA –Justice Secretary Leila De Lima on Thursday said that the action taken on the request for the cancellation of the passport of Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson will be known in 10 days. “After the lapse of a 10-day period, the action taken by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on the DOJ’s (Department of Justice)request for the cancellation of Lacson’s passport will be known,” De Lima told reporters in a press conference.

De Lima said that the DFA asked the DOJ not to announce yet the action taken on the cancellation of Lacson’s passport until after the lapse of 10 days.“An announcement will be made after the lapse of ten days,” De Lima assured. In a confidential letter, De Lima said,the DFA has asked the DOJ not to reveal yet the action taken on such request.

The ten-day period was supposedly to provide the camp of Lacson to reply on the request of the Dacer family, coursed through the DOJ, for the cancellation of Lacson’s passport. Lacson’s last known whereabouts is in Rome, Italy. He stands as a principal accused in the Dacer-Corbito double-murder case in connection with the death of noted publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000. The Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) hearing the Dacer-Corbito double-murder charges issued an arrest warrant against Lacson on Feb. 5, 2010. However, Lacson flew out of the country on Jan. 5, 2010 even before the Manila RTC could have resolved his pending motion for judicial determination of probable cause.