Lacson says he’ll sue son if guilty

FILE: Sen. Panfilo Lacson (PNA photo)

“Kung ginagawa niya iyon, ako mismo ang magffile ng (If he is guilty, I myself will file) charges against him. I won’t wait for Faeldon,” Senator Panfilo Lacson said in a press conference on Thursday.

Earlier, former Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, accused the Senator and his son’s alleged smuggling of cement in a press briefing in Taytay. This was a day after the Senator’s privilege speech about the corruption in Customs, as he claimed that Faeldon and other officials accepted a P100 million bribe.

According to Faeldon, on July, Panfilo “Pampi” Lacson Jr.’s company – Bonjourno only has a capital of P20 000, but was able to export 67 shiploads of cement amounting to billions of pesos. Further, he said that Lacson Jr. wanted to pay only 50% of the freight cost, and presented the former Commissioner fake documents to try and justify the $8 cost instead of the $16-$20. In addition, Faeldon claimed that Lacson Jr. went to his office to bribe him.

“Hindi ako mag-e-expose kung meron akong alam na pwedeng ibato balik sa akin (I will not expose [the shenanigans in the Customs] if I know that something can be thrown against me),” the Senator said, and added that Faeldon should have addressed this alleged smuggling as early as he discovered it.

On his privilege speech, Lacson saidd that Faeldon with other officials, and ‘players’ were accepting grease money from the ‘tara’ system.

“’Yung sinasabi ni Ping Lacson na may mga player, tanong ko sa’yo. Player ka ba? Player ba ang anak mo? Dummy mo ba ito (Are you a player [in smuggling]? Is your son a player? Is he your dummy)?” the resigned commissioner said.

Lacson however said that his namesake is not his dummy, and denied all claims thrown at him. “Hindi ko pinapakialaman. I have my own problems I have my own issues to confront, he is old enough,” he said, admitting that he does not know much about his son’s business.

The Senator however reiterated that if his son was doing something illegal, he would be the first to sue him, “Better prepare all your documents, kung meron kang tinatago d’yan (if you a really hiding anything), better be prepared. I will not wait for other people to file charges against him. Uunahan ko pa siya (I will be first).”

Lacson said that he does not know the former Customs commissioner’s motive behind this, but he admitted that they exchanged text messages yesterday.

He said that Faeldon texted him saying that he hopes that there will be a competent body to investigate the said expose for the good of the country, in which the Senator said he was willing to meet with the latter whenever he was free.

“Bakit ko raw sinira ‘yung mga hindi kurap ([He asked me] why I destroyed those who were not corrupt]. I don’t know what he means by that. Hindi na ako nag-reply (I did not reply anymore),” the Senator added.

Faeldon accused Lacson of using this issue for his plans on running for president, which the latter denied, saying that he is not young anymore and ‘not thinking of 2022.’

“I really don’t know kung ano ang kanyang (what his) motive (is). Ang sinasagot ko lang dito ay ‘yung isyung binato sa akin (I am only clarifying the issue thrown at me). Kung ako sa kanya  ayoko na makipagbalitaktakan sa kanya. I don’t want him to get back at me. Nasabi ko na lahat ng pwede kong sabihin sa aking (If I were him, I do not like to argue  anymore. I already stated everything I can say in my) privilege speech based on what information I gathered,” Lacson said.