Senator Ping Lacson gave a humorous reply to Senator Bato’s joke: “Magtago siyang mabuti”
· Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa joked to Senator Ping Lacson in a private chat that he would try to "break the record for hiding" set by the latter in the past
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· Lacson responded by jokingly advising Dela Rosa to "hide well" if he doesn't intend to surrender, while urging law enforcement to search diligently
· Dela Rosa’s joke comes amid intense speculation that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a warrant for his arrest
· Lacson's "record" refers to the time he spent in hiding in 2010 after a warrant was issued against him in connection with the Dacer-Corbito case
The intense speculation surrounding the possible International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant of arrest against Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa took a lighthearted turn this week, courtesy of fellow lawmaker Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson.
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Drawing upon his own notorious past experience as a fugitive, Lacson revealed a humorous exchange with Dela Rosa, offering advice laced with dry wit about how the former police chief should handle the situation.
Dela Rosa, who has been noticeably absent from Senate sessions and hearings since November 10—following claims by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla that the ICC had issued a warrant—recently reached out to his colleagues in their private chat group.
Lacson shared with reporters on Tuesday that when he checked on the senator, Dela Rosa responded with a joke that brought a rare moment of levity to the high-stakes issue.
“Kumusta ka na. Mag-ingat ka lang,” Sen. Lacson told reporters when asked what he told Sen. Dela Rosa.
He then said that Sen. Bato joked “‘Sir, i-break ko yung record mo sa pagtatago,’ then followed by a ‘haha’,” Lacson recounted, translating the exchange from Filipino.
The "record" Dela Rosa referred to stems from Lacson’s own flight from authorities in 2010.
Lacson, a former Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief himself, went into hiding for over a year after a Manila court issued a warrant for his alleged involvement in the 2000 Dacer-Corbito double murder case.
Lacson, who has since been cleared of the charges, is one of the few Philippine political figures with firsthand experience in evading a judicial process.
Lacson, who served as Senate President Pro Tempore, then offered a piece of "advice" to Dela Rosa, delivered with characteristic solemnity.
“Ang advice ko sa kanya kung wala syang intensyon na mag surrender, magtago syang mabuti. At advice ko sa law enforcement, hanapin nyo syang mabuti . Trabaho nila yun e, maghanap,” Lacson stated.
This comment cleverly balances his past as a fugitive with his current position as a public servant respecting law enforcement mandates.
It is important to note that the situation surrounding Dela Rosa is legally distinct from Lacson's 2010 ordeal.
Dela Rosa, who spearheaded the deadly war on drug5 as PNP Chief under then-President Rodrigo Duterte, is implicated in a case before the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity.
However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed that they have not yet received any official copy of a warrant of arrest from the ICC.
Lacson himself underscored this fact, pointing out that no official warrant has been served against his colleague, even while acknowledging that immunity for sitting senators is "limited" by the Constitution, particularly for serious criminal offenses.
The exchange highlights the high-pressure environment surrounding the former top cop.
While the joke provides a human moment between colleagues, it underscores the gravity of the legal threat Dela Rosa currently faces, suggesting that even a senator implicated in a global human rights case may look to past political precedents for a way forward.
In other news, President Marcos mandated the immediate return to service of Captain Jerome Jacuba, accompanied by an instantaneous promotion to the rank of Major. Jacuba, having been blinded in an explosion, was previously removed from service under the Complicated Disability Discharge (CDD) regulation. The President publicly declared the standing military policy to be unjust, emphasizing that servicemen wounded while performing their duties should not be summarily dismissed. President Marcos instructed the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to conduct a prompt review and revision of all CDD rules.
Still in other news, Maryan Pascual Esteban, the OFW who perished in a Hong Kong fire, was scheduled to return to the Philippines to be with her family and her 10-year-old son in December. Her distressed parents in Isabela are making an emotional plea to the government for the swift return of their daughter's remains from Hong Kong. Philippine government agencies have guaranteed financial assistance and comprehensive support for the young boy she tragically leaves behind. The child harbors an ambition to become a firefighter, motivated by the wish that no other person should perish in a conflagration.
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Source: KAMI.com.gh
