By Hannah Torregoza
Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said on Sunday, June 14, that whoever is behind the possible destabilization plot involving 18 former soldiers cannot undermine the professionalism of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Lacson noted that the uniformed services have effectively disowned the group and distanced themselves from the ex-soldiers, who claimed to have delivered cash in maletasf to personalities linked to the flood control scandal.
“I don’t think the AFP and uniformed services have any sympathy for the 18 Maleta Boys. They’ve been disowned by the Philippine Marines and by the AFP,” Lacson said in a radio interview.
“So if those behind them assume that their antics would trigger something bigger and cause destabilization, I think they are wrong,” he added.
“Those behind the destabilization attempts should know better than to use the 18 ex-Marines as a rallying point for our Armed Forces. They should know the members of the AFP and PNP better than how they assume they will act. Whoever is behind the destabilization moves should know them better than that,” he further said.
He explained that any possible threat involving the “Maleta Boys” may have already been preempted after acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian ordered heightened security at the Senate and authorized employees to work from home.
Nevertheless, the Senate continues to validate the intelligence information received about such threats.
“We are in the process of assessing and validating it with the help of intelligence units of our uniformed services,” Lacson said.
He also questioned the entry of the 18 into the Senate last June 8.
Instead of attending the Blue Ribbon Committee meeting presided over by Sen. Erwin Tulfo, they went to the office of Sen. Robinhood Padilla to hold a press conference while the hearing was ongoing.
Lacson said even the benefactors of the 18 tried to harass Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (Ret.) P/Maj. Gen. Alfredo Corpuz to allow them entry.
He warned that it is not far-fetched that the 18 could be used to start a commotion inside the Senate, turning it into a “staging area” and rallying point for the AFP and PNP.
“They had no intention of attending the hearing chaired by Sen. Erwin Tulfo, so why were they there and why did they insist on entering? They even harassed our Sergeant-at-Arms Gen. Corpuz and insisted on entering—for what? To hold a press conference? The way I assess it, they have a plan,” he pointed out.
