Seeing the light of Philippine politics in

THE HEART OF DARKNESS

CRIME and politics seem to blend perfectly only in fiction. Welcome to the surreal world of Philippine politics.

As the Senate goes through spasms in the wake of incriminations among its own ranks, its ability to conduct an impartial investigation into the criminal allegations against former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and now Senator Panfilo Lacson is put into question.

The issue dogging Lacson in the last few years seemed tame and defensible enough in a nation rife with criminalelements: the alleged summary execution of the notorious Kuratong Baleleng gang. The police then presented the bullet-ridden bodies to the media as casualties of a shoot-out.

Civil rights activists cried foul. But the ordinary Filipino in the street, sick of unpunished crimes, cheered Lacson, and even paid hard-earned money to watch the movie The Ping Lacson Story.

The story took an irreversible change of plot in the recent days when The Inquirer columnist Ramon Tulfo, who

	Lacson

covered Lacson for a long time and was apparently in his subject's confidence, launched a series of revelations against Lacson in his column. Tulfo's motive himself was not beyond reproach. Apparently, he did it in reaction to the statement made by Lacson that Tulfo was on the top of the PNP's media payroll for a certain period.

Until then, the government has had to go by the testimony of an obscure witness named Angelo "Ador" Mawanay who claimed to be a civilian agent of the now defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF). He claims to be witness to criminal activities, including kidnap-for-ransom and drug trafficking, of the crime-busting unit under the command of Lacson.

Mawanay's credibility as a state witness was bolstered by the NBI's lie detector test, as well as corroborative evidences presented by other self-confessed civilian agents and the specific circumstances described in his account.

But he proved himself to be a loose cannon when he unleashed statements marginal to the core case but which incriminated prominent members of the Senate, mainly former broadcaster Loren Legarda.

As the Lacson story unfolded, details of bank accounts containing millions of dollars in the US, Canada and Hongkong were brought to light. At least one of these accounts was traced through a tip given by Mawanay to the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).

The US government has officially confirmed that it is cooperating in the investigation of possible money laundering and other criminal activities by Lacson. The bulk of the alleged illegal stash abroad still has to be proven.

But this piece of the story can be crucial to the prosecution of former President Joseph Estrada on charges of economic plunder. Some of the hidden wealth were reportedly in the names of Lacson's wife Alice, Loi Estrada, and others were joint accounts held by the principals and their spouses.

Undoubtedly, the inquiry into Lacson's alleged misdeeds has exposed the rotten underbelly of Philippine politics. If the investigation results can solidify the case against those already indicted, mainly Estrada, and help in the implementation of justice and even closure of the case, Arroyo can consolidate her mandate and move on to accomplish what she has set forth to do in her State of the Nation address.

But the downside of this investigation is that the criminal and political aspects are so intertwined that it cannot possibly proceed without shaking the foundations of governance of the Arroyo administration. That the parameters of the investigation keeps changing with every new allegation and evidence bodes ill for political stability, something that Arroyo, in her impassioned call for abstention from politicking, badly needs.

Already, even military and police officers loyal to the president have expressed apprehensions that the pursuit for truth in the Lacson case can drive a wedge in their institutions, as new charges and countercharges fly both ways.

As the treasure hunt for Lacson's alleged illegal stash involves foreign banks, the inquiry cannot but draw the spotlight from the foreign media, dampening an already depressed investor confidence in the country.

Keeping herself detached from the issues, Arroyo has so far remained unblemished in the midst of the mudslinging. But she is not invulnerable to the charges that the Lacson issue is politically colored, given the statements she made about Lacson's alleged lobbying against her in the US last year.

It remains to be seen if Arroyo can get to the bottom of corruption and criminality, and steer the nation through clear waters as the ripples widen and the political fray intensifies. *

AVAIL OF OUR VERY SPECIAL PROMO FOR ONLINE ADVERTISEMENTS

THIS SPACE CAN BE YOURS!

For more details, CLICK HERE.