Lacson defends himself from Romualdez’s ‘unfair indictment’

Rehabilitation Czar Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

After being criticized for “incompetence” which derailed the rehabilitation efforts after Yolanda, Rehabilitation Secretary Panfilo Lacson hits Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez for his “unfair indictment.”

“If Mayor Romualdez is telling you that there is incompetence in the national government agencies, well I think that’s an unfair indictment of the national government agencies,” Lacson said in an interview for Rappler.

Lacson was also criticized for being more focused on the pork barrel scam than on the rehabilitation of Yolanda survivors, a task personally designated to him by the President as the rehabilitation czar.

Lacson however defended himself saying that the “Napolist,” – the list involving several members of Aquino administration and other officials in the pork scam – has not been an obstacle in his functions as the rehabilitation secretary.

“I didn’t lose focus,” Lacson said. “I just got distracted a bit,” Lacson said explaining that he forgotten that he had a copy of the list which started the whole idea of his critics saying that he totally got distracted with the issue.

Blame it on the media, critics

Lacson also said that it was not him but the media who are deeply drowned into the “Napolist,” a comment also noted by the President.

Aside from the media, Lacson also blames critics and activist groups for failing to get over with the issues raised against him.

“Things are moving,” Lacson added, but the government is “being drowned by the propaganda line” of critics referring to activists groups including a group of protesters allegedly created by the Romualdezes to an anti-government rally in February.

With reports from, Paterno Esmaquel II