Sen. Panfilo Lacson Photo. Photo by ALEXIS CORPUZ/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Without mincing words, Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday tagged Senator Antonio Trillanes IV as one of those behind alleged efforts to destabilize the Duterte administration.
A confessed destabilizer during the time of then President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Lacson claimed he knows a destabilization plot when he sees one.
鈥淣aging part ako ng (I was part of the) destabilization during the past administration, not under President Aquino, before that. And I know a destabilization activity when I see one. So yan naging basehan kung bakit parang (that鈥檚 the basis why it seems that) this looks or this sounds familiar,鈥� he told Senate reporters.
鈥淎no ba aim, bakit pursigidong ipalabas o ma-prolong, ma-extend ang hearing? Isa lang naman eh, to bring down the administration,鈥� he said, apparently referring to Trillanes鈥� proposal to conduct more hearings on retired policeman Arturo Lasca帽as鈥� allegations against President Rodrigo Duterte.
(What鈥檚 the aim, why is there eagerness to prolong, extend the hearing? There鈥檚 only [objective], to bring down the administration.)
鈥淭o me, it鈥檚 not bad, it鈥檚 normal when you feel an administration is failing the Filipino people, I think it鈥檚 incumbent upon us being public officials ourselves and even a common Filipino, ordinary Filipino, na gumawa rin ng hakbang para di mapabagsak sa illegal na pamamaraan. Kasi meron naman constitutional na pamamaraan para maialis mo ang isang Pangulo na sa tingin mo hindi sumasang-ayon sa Constitution,鈥� Lacson added.
(To me, it鈥檚 not bad, it鈥檚 normal when you feel an administration is failing the Filipino people, I think it鈥檚 incumbent upon us being public officials ourselves and even a common Filipino, ordinary Filipino to ensure [that any move to bring down a government] should not be done illegally because there are constitutional means to remove a President who you think is violating the Constitution.)
It was Trillanes who facilitated Lasca帽as鈥� public confession last February 20 and initiated the probe conducted by the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, chaired by Lacson.
But after conducting one hearing last week, Lacson鈥檚 committee, acting on a motion, terminated the probe.
Asked then if he thinks Trillanes was behind a destabilization plot against the Duterte administration, Lacson said: 鈥淲ell admittedly siya naman yung handler e. And of course sa kanya nag-report. And the other handlers whom di naman natin kilala lahat kung sino nagha- handle.鈥�
(Well admittedly he is the handler. And of course [Lasca帽as] reported to him. And the other handlers whom we didn鈥檛 know because we don鈥檛 everyone who handles [Lasca帽as].)
鈥淏ut the mere act alone of going from one media outlet to another, and as I was observing pagka may hearing, napakaraming international media na nagko-cover, which is quite unusual. Marami rin tayong hearings na ginagawa rito wala tayong nakikitang masyadong international media.鈥�
(But the mere act alone of going from one media outlet to another, and as I was observing when there鈥檚 a hearing, there are many international media covering which is quite unusual. We also conduct a lot of hearings here but we don鈥檛 see a lot of international media.)
Told about Trillanes鈥� statement that exposing the truth does not mean destabilization, Lacson said: 鈥淧ero ano ang goal (But what鈥檚 the goal)? Just the truth? Come on. We were not born yesterday. All of a sudden goal mo lang (your only goal) is just to expose the truth? For what reason, for what purpose? And what is the objective?鈥� RAM/rga
READ: Trillanes, Pangilinan say Lasca帽as not for destabilization
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