Prelate says Lacson sought his advice before leaving

Saturday, 06 February 2010 05:18 Dona Pazzibugan/Inquirer.net

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MANILA — Archbishop-emeritus Oscar Cruz disclosed on Saturday that Sen. Panfilo Lacson went to see him “two or three days before” he left the country last month to evade arrest for the murders of publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito nearly 10 years ago.

Cruz, a known anti-Arroyo critic, said he merely listened to the senator divulge his plan to leave the country, and that he did not give any advice.

The prelate said he found Lacson's decision to flee the country ahead of the court's issuance of an arrest warrant “justifiable.”

“Natatakot lang siya dahil hindi siya tinatantanan ng adminstrasyon (He was just afraid because the administration has not stopped harassing him),” Cruz told the Inquirer in an interview.

“Hindi sya duwag. Wala lang siyang laban (He's not a coward. He just has no means to defend himself),” he added.

A former national police chief, Lacson has made several exposes against the First Couple and extended personal protection to some witnesses who testified in the Senate hearings.

Cruz said Lacson did not tell him where he was going.

“I just listened to him, and justifiable ang pag-alis nya (his reasons for leaving were justifiable),” the prelate said.

“Sa tingin ko hindi niya magagawa iyong binibintang sa kanya (In my opinion he could not have done what he was being accused him of),” Cruz went on.

Cruz said there was nothing irregular in the fact that the opposition senator chose to see him before he left.

He said Lacson would contact him “when there is a major (political) issue,” either by exchanging text messages or by visiting him at his office at the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines headquarters in Intramuros, Manila.

Cruz said he has not had any communication with Lacson since he left the country.

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