Lacson vs. Estrada Part 1
Sen. Panfilo Lacson made good yesterday his threat to expose former President Joseph Estrada’s “bad side” as he recited in a privilege speech a litany of the deposed leader’s alleged excesses and criminal activities, including smuggling and the shakedown of a businessman (that businessman is Alfonso Yuchengco).
In his speech, he narrated how Estrada enriched himself while in power from 1998 to 2001. Lacson accused Estrada of involvement in the illegal numbers game jueteng, extortion and intimidation of businessmen, and of ordering the release of big shipments of smuggled dressed chicken and rice from the Bureau of Customs. Behind Estrada’s pro-poor posture was a man lusting for power and wealth, Lacson said.
“Jueteng is just one illustrative insight into the character of Mr. Estrada as a government official, and as President of the country,” Lacson said.
“There were other sinister behavioral patterns that must be told to the Filipino people,” he said.
Lacson first worked with Estrada in an anti-crime task force when he was still vice president.
In August 1998, Lacson said he learned that one of the country’s prominent businessmen, Alfonso Yuchengco, was forced to sign conveyance of his 7.75 percent shares with Philippine Telecommunications Investment Corp. (PTIC), equivalent to 18,720 shares, to Metro Pacific under its president Manuel V. Pangilinan. It is because of Estrada’s order for the police to harass Yuchengco’s son Tito with threats of arrest on trumped up drug charges to force his father to sell his PTIC shares. Lacson said this shakedown happened while Estrada was barely two months in office.
Lacson also denied Estrada’s claims that the senator was directly involved in the murders of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito.
“In an effort to defend himself from accusations that he may have been involved in the Dacer-Corbito double murder case, he has consistently asserted that he never dealt with officials other than the heads of agencies,” Lacson said.
Lacson said a “subordinate officer” took direct orders from Estrada for certain missions after he and the former president had a falling out.
“I did not bother to find out anymore if the officer complied or not with Mr. Estrada’s order. I thought I should not interfere with a direct order from the President to a subordinate officer because in doing so, I felt that I would add insult to injury upon myself,” Lacson said.
“Yet, on so many occasions, and I have personal knowledge on this, during his presidency, he was giving direct orders and instructions deep into the layers of the entire government bureaucracy, the PNP and the PAOCTF (Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission) included,” Lacson added.
In his speech, he narrated how Estrada enriched himself while in power from 1998 to 2001. Lacson accused Estrada of involvement in the illegal numbers game jueteng, extortion and intimidation of businessmen, and of ordering the release of big shipments of smuggled dressed chicken and rice from the Bureau of Customs. Behind Estrada’s pro-poor posture was a man lusting for power and wealth, Lacson said.
“Jueteng is just one illustrative insight into the character of Mr. Estrada as a government official, and as President of the country,” Lacson said.
“There were other sinister behavioral patterns that must be told to the Filipino people,” he said.
Lacson first worked with Estrada in an anti-crime task force when he was still vice president.
In August 1998, Lacson said he learned that one of the country’s prominent businessmen, Alfonso Yuchengco, was forced to sign conveyance of his 7.75 percent shares with Philippine Telecommunications Investment Corp. (PTIC), equivalent to 18,720 shares, to Metro Pacific under its president Manuel V. Pangilinan. It is because of Estrada’s order for the police to harass Yuchengco’s son Tito with threats of arrest on trumped up drug charges to force his father to sell his PTIC shares. Lacson said this shakedown happened while Estrada was barely two months in office.
Lacson also denied Estrada’s claims that the senator was directly involved in the murders of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito.
“In an effort to defend himself from accusations that he may have been involved in the Dacer-Corbito double murder case, he has consistently asserted that he never dealt with officials other than the heads of agencies,” Lacson said.
Lacson said a “subordinate officer” took direct orders from Estrada for certain missions after he and the former president had a falling out.
“I did not bother to find out anymore if the officer complied or not with Mr. Estrada’s order. I thought I should not interfere with a direct order from the President to a subordinate officer because in doing so, I felt that I would add insult to injury upon myself,” Lacson said.
“Yet, on so many occasions, and I have personal knowledge on this, during his presidency, he was giving direct orders and instructions deep into the layers of the entire government bureaucracy, the PNP and the PAOCTF (Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission) included,” Lacson added.
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