THE PHILIPPINES KIDNAPPED
Wilson Y. Lee Flores
Yazhou Zhoukan (Asia Weekly) of Hong Kong
2-8 July 2001

( Interview published in the July 2 to 8, 2001 Cover Story entitled " The Philippines Kidnapped!" of Hong Kong-based Yazhou Zhoukan ( Asia Weekly ) , the worlds biggest international Chinese-language newsweekly with global circulation. Yazhou Zhoukan is well known for its editorial independence, owned 50% by the Ming Pao Media Group of Hong Kong and 50% owned by Tom.com of Asia's wealthiest billionaire Li-Kang-Shing. The cover story includes two Editorials and three articles detailing the breakdown in Philippine peace and order, the worsening kidnapping menace which had alarmed even the government of U.S., Britain, Turkey, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Germany . Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and other societies. The editorials pointed out that the Philippine government should realized that the kidnapping epidemic is not only a Chinese community problem, but a crisis which severely damages the international reputation of the Philippines among foreign investors and tourist. The editorials pointed to widespread reports about endemic corruption in the police and military organizations, and in the government as a serious problem behind the Philippine image as " Kidnap Center of Asia". The kidnapping epidemic has been described as a flourishing and feeding on the endemic corruption which has been described as a "social cancer" which threatens economic development, political stability and moral foundations of Philippine society. )

Interview of Senator Panfilo Lacson : Popular anti-Kidnapping Police General & Political Enemy of the President

Newly- elected Senator Panfilo Lacson has become one of the most controversial political figures in the Philippines, said to be the most hated and feared by President Gloria Arroyo, but ironically the most admired by the Chinese community for his efficient track record in curbing past kidnapped-for-ransom crimes. The 52 -year-old Lacson was the popular and multi-awarded former chief of the Philippine National Police ( PNP ) under deposed President Joseph Estrada from 1998 to January 20, 2001. On June 18, the daughter of Chinese tycoon Robert Cheng was kidnapped inside the campus of the University of the Philippines along with her bodyguard and driver , the kidnappers were men wearing police uniforms and armed with armalite weapons. The victims were only freed the next day after reportedly P 150 million pesos ( US$3 million dollars ) were paid as ransom.

What shocked almost all sectors of the Philippine society and angered many in the Chinese community was when President Gloria Arroyo, her Local Government Secretary Joey Lina and presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao accused the Cheng family of staging the kidnap in order to destabilized the government due to their support for opposition politician Lacson. Senator Lacson went on national television describing the accusation as "garbage" and demanding that president Arroyo publicly apologize to the Cheng family, who owns the country's biggest foam factory. Presidential Spokesman Tiglao angrily insisted that the police intelligence report "could turn out to be a gem, not garbage." Due to the increased public outcry and disbelief, President Arroyo on June 20 had invited the Cheng family to Malacaņang presidential palace to apologized. The unprecedented presidential apology had been described by major Chinese-language newspaper "United Daily News" on the front page as "The First time in History". President Gloria Arroyo's chief of intelligence at the Philippine national Police ( PNP ) is Superintendent Reynaldo Berroya, who was arrested by General Lacson in 1995, convicted by the Philippine court of kidnapping a Taiwanese businessman, jailed for two years, released only in a Supreme Court ruling that did not clear his innocence.

General Lacson won in the May 14 national elections as Senator with strong financial and logistical support from Chinese communities throughout the Philippines, despite President Arroyo's May 1 order to arrest him without a court warrant which forced him to hide for two weeks. President Arroyo accused Lacson of being one of the masterminds behind military coup plots and the May 1 attacks of poor people against the presidential palace. During the election campaign period, the government also repeatedly filed many cases against him in court and used the mass media to accused him of kidnappings, murders, illegal drug smuggling, rebellion and other crimes. Many children of the country's wealthiest Chinese tycoons like billionaire Gokongwei and others came out in an unprecedented press conference, attesting to Lacson's integrity and his helping solve their kidnap crimes. On June 22, President Gloria Arroyo accused Lacson and other opposition leaders of planning for new social unrest and rebellion in time for the June 26 start of court trial of deposed President Estrada for corruption cases.

General Lacson told Yazhou Zhoukan in an exclusive interview at a Chinese restaurant in Manila that he and his men of the former Presidential Anti-Crime Commission ( PACC ), stopped kidnappings by killing criminal Joey de Leon of the notorious "Red Scorpion syndicate in 1992. He said that the government is now trying to blame him for everything that is going wrong with the country, maybe in the future the President will accuse him of being the leader of the Abu Sayyaf Muslim terrorists. In the Chine restaurant, many ordinary Chinese families and even the Filipino employees mobbed him like a movie star, asking for him to sign autographs and to pose for photos with them. Lacson started the closed-door two hours interview with Yazhou Zhoukan at 4:00 PM, eating noodles and dumplings ( suey-chiao ):

Yazhou Zhoukan : How does it feel to win a surprising election victory after the government had used an arrest order, many court cases and an aggressive media campaign to destroy your first try in politics?

General Panfilo Lacson : I feel vindicated, that the mandate and trust of the people is still there. I am happy to win, despite the demolition job the government did against my reputation, throwing everything at me, accusing me of all kinds of crimes. My election victory is a clear mandate to serve. I feel vindicated.

Yazhou Zhoukan : What is your reaction to President Arroyo accusing the Cheng family of staging their own kidnap to help you destabilized the government and later on making an embarrassing apology?

Lacson : It is pathetic. This is tragic, not only on the part of the Cheng family who already suffered so much, but it is also tragic for the President because she was fed garbage information . What can you expect from this government when the President had appointed convicted kidnap criminal Reynaldo Berroya as chief of Intelligence of the Philippine National Police ( PNP ) and former communist rebel Victor Corpus as head of the armed Forces of the Philippines ( AFP ) ? What do you think ? What do you expect from intelligence officers who like to create dubious white papers, fabrications and lies, passing them off as intelligence reports. This is dangerous situation for the nation. These false intelligence reports are embarrassing to the President.

Yazhou Zhoukan : How can this big mistake happen ?The President was my economic professor in college, she has a doctorate degree and is said to be very intelligent?

Lacson : Being intelligent does not necessarily mean that you are smart. President Gloria Arroyo was insensitive when she accused the kidnap victim. It is incredible that they don't take time out to investigate the facts, to investigate data.

Yazhou Zhoukan : How do you explain your popularity throughout the Philippine society?

Lacson : I have served for 30 years in the military and the police forces ever since 1971, later on during the martial law years and up to this year. I can say in all honesty that I have served the country well. In all sincerity. I have been honest in my job and with the people that I serve.

Yazhou Zhoukan : A Filipino businessman told me that in a recent luncheon meeting of the Young President Organization ( YPO ) President Arroyo repeatedly expressed her disappointment and anger with your election victory. Why does the President fear or hate you so much?

Lacson : ( laughs ) I think it is improper for me to speculate. I have my own informations why, but let us not discuss it... I'm sure they have their own reasons for behaving that way towards me, for the manner they have been treating me even now in the mass media and the courts.

Yazhou Zhoukan : Why is that most members of the Chinese community strongly support you, even those ordinary Chinese who do not know you personally?

Lacson : Principally, it is because of the problems that beset the Chinese community, especially the upsurge of kidnap-for-ransom crimes in the 1990s. Throughout my career, I showed people that I can handle problems. In response to the crime wave before, we would be there to decisively address the problem. Whenever I was able to solve the various kidnap crimes and save Chinese victims, they showed appreciation by offering me reward money, but you can asked them that I always refused, because it is my sworn duty to fight criminals and I was being paid by taxpayers' money to uphold the law. When I became head of the Philippine National Police ( PNP ), I started a public campaign to go after corrupt police, I even started a campaign to require that all police do not have big stomachs that they should be healthy. I wanted to clean up the police force. I think the Chinese community appreciate all of these things, they remembered all these.

Yazhou Zhoukan : The Philippines is beset by so many political, economic, social and even cultural problems. Do you think we need a strongman leader to save the nation?

Lacson : Yes, I think there's a need for strong leadership to save the Philippines. I agree with Singapore statesman Lee Kuan Yew about his views on the soft state, that the Philippines is a soft state. There is no need for strong-arm tactics, but we need a strong leader with political will. We need a courageous leader, not one who will only play to the mob. Look at President Gloria Arroyo, she has become hostage to the conflicting pressures and lobbying by the so-called "Civil Society", by the United Front groups of the Communist forces, by the Catholic Church, and the power bloc of former President Fidel Ramos. It is not surprising, because the President did not win the Presidency through an election, but she ascended to power with so many different groups to which she owed her rise to power.

Yazhou Zhoukan : Who are the leaders of the world whom you admire the most?

Lacson : Singaporean statesman Lee Kuan Yew is on the top of the list for me. I also admire Musharraf of Pakistan. I also admire Winston Churchill. They are not only strong leaders, but they were also honest. I a leader is strong but corrupt, it is all useless. I admire strong and honest leaders who led by example.

Yazhou Zhoukan : President Gloria Arroyo had accused you of plotting to destabilize the government, that you had originally planned to destabilize her regime on June 26 in time for the start of former President Estrada's court trial. What is your reaction?

Lacson : I am not a destabilizer, the opposition is not destabilizer, I don't think so. Do you want to know who is today the Number destabilzer of her government ? She is the Number 1 destabilizer ! Can you imagine the President of the Republic announcing in public that there will be social unrest and revolts, she is scaring away foreign investors, tourist and even the public. These unverified Intelligence reports should not be made public, whether they are validated or not. It is incredible.

Yazhou Zhoukan : From a police general to a Senator, what is your political

Lacson : My legislative agenda will be to strenghthen laws on law and order , laws that will fight corruption, laws fighting money-laundering and recketeering. I hope to also pass laws providing incentives to law enforcement people. For example, the assets seized from convicted illegal druglords, a portion of these captured assets can be given law enforcement people.

Yazhou Zhoukan : Which foreign law enforcement systems in the world do you admire?

Lacson : Hong Kong, they are quite efficient in law enforcement. Also Australia, can you imagine they have only 2,000 federal police in Australia?

Yazhou Zhoukan : What is wrong with Philippine society, what do you think should be changed?

Lacson : We have to change the culture, the values. It is said that corruption has become institutionalized in the country, It has become a way of life. Even our elections are corrupt, we cannot even be proud of the integrity of our elections. What should be done? Reforms. Like what I did in the national police force, when nobody believed that I could solve the widespread problem of police extorting bribes in the streets for traffic violations. Reforms can be done with the strong will of a leader. When there is breakdown in peace and order like it is now in the country, the government cannot blame businessmen if they decide to invest elsewhere. We have to clean up corruption and redtape in government. For example, just in the simple collection of taxes, why is that many people don't pay the correct taxes? People see the government wasting taxpayers' money in corruption and useless projects. In america, people pay correct taxes, because they see their money being spent on infrastructures and public services. The efforts to fight corruption, I believe the initiative should come from government. We cannot demand from people what the government cannot do. The fight against corruption should be government initiative.

Yazhou Zhoukan : Your life is colorful like a movie. Where you surprised after May 1 attack by poor people on the presidential palace when president Gloria Arroyo accused you as a mastermind and ordered your warrantless arrest?

Lacson : No, I was not surprised, I was more angry. It was the first time that a police like me was hunted like a criminal, I felt so frustrated and angry and even resigned to the fact that I will lose the election. Two weeks before election day and I had to hide, I said that I will just give them the Senate, but I never even once thought of surrendering. I know that I will be subjected to all unfair treatments. I don't want to subject myself to indignities over nothing, over false charges. It was amazing. They want to arrest me, for what ? What crime did I commit ? Up to now, the government has not filed any formal charges on my alleged rebellion, there has not even been an investigation, how come? I was hunted with an arrest order that had no warrant for 12 days. The government only lifted the declaration of the state of rebellion and my arrest order before the Supreme Court decided on my lawyers' petition that arrest orders without warrant was wrong and illegal.

Yazhou Zhoukan : Since they falsely accuse you of rebellion, when you were being hunted, did it ever cross your mind to just become a true rebel?

Lacson: Yes, that thought really crossed my mind several times, maybe I should just become a true rebel. But I never gave it really a serious thought.

Yazhou Zhoukan : Your first public appearance on May 10 was big news, because you appeared in the last public rally of the opposition.

Lacson: Yes. What made it so dramatic was that the President had to life the state of rebellion declaration before the Supreme Court resolution questioning it, and it was coincidentally just in time for the last opposition mass rally on Sunday May 10. The big crowd was in a frenzy when I made my first public appearance on stage, my classmate Senator Honasan also made his first public appearance that day. It was an overwhelming experience. I felt then that I was already a winner. The foreign media were there, even CNN and foreign and local media, when they interviewed me there, I said I was confident of sure to be a winner.

Yazhou Zhoukan : Was that your greatest triumph?

Lacson : No, not even my winning as Senator. I felt more victorious at the Philippine National Police, when I made progress in cleaning up the police force, when I was being successful in fighting against corruption.

Yazhou Zhoukan : When did you hide those 12 days when the government was hunting you with an arrest order before the election?

Lacson : I was hiding somewhere in Metro Manila only. In those 12 days, I was stopped two times by police and military check-points in the streets, but when they saw me, they just saluted me and said "Be Careful, Sir."

Yazhou Zhoukan : Your schoolmate in batch 1971 in Philippine Military Academy is Senator Gregorio Honasan, who staged several military coup against then President Aquino. Even if you were not part of the alleged rebellion, do you think that a military coup is a possible way to change a bad or illegitimate government?

Lacson : No, I don't approve of any military coups. I don't think a military coup will be good for the country, it will only aggravate the situation. If a government just grabs power without a democratic mandate from the people, it is not good.

Yazhou Zhoukan : President Gloria Arroyo and her officials angrily insist that the media, the Chinese community and other sectors are wrong, that there is no peace and order problem in the Philippines.

Lacson : Why doesn't the government admit the crisis in peace and order, that there is an upsurge in crimes? How can they solve the problem if they don't admit it, if they don't acknowledge it?

Yazhou Zhoukan : When tens of thousands of poor people attacked the presidential palace on May 1, does this mean that there is danger that the worsening economic and social crises may provoke possible future violent anger from the poor masses?

Lacson : The Filipino people have for generations been a patient and resilient. I agree, there may be a point when they could no longer endure, that their frustrations may go away past the boiling point, but I don't see it happening in the immediate future. Although I'm in the opposition, people can see that this government has been there for only a few months.

Yazhou Zhoukan : What can be done to change the Philippine image as the Kidnap Center of Asia?

Lacson : There should be appointments of leaders in the Philippine National Police who are capable of doing their jobs. Peace and order problems will worsen the country's economic problems. Instead of cushioning the Philippines from a possible global economic slowdown, the rise in criminality will worsen our economic situation. The President should of course focus in the fight against graft and corruption, not just pay lip service and give speeches. Corruption is already endemic in the government, police and military, it is also becoming endemic in the private sector. Why? Because corruption has become a way of life, because if you don't become corrupt, you will be left behind. The fight against corruption should start with government, it should start with the leadership.

Yazhou Zhoukan : If you were the President, what should have been done to respond to the Abu Sayyaf kidnappings in Dos Palmas resort on May 27?

Lacson : Tactically, the President was wrong. I think what should be better was sending several small commando units, not large armies. If you sent huge military batallions and brigades, thousands of soldiers, the military will be very slow in the jungles, all your movements will be known by the enemy. But we have soldiers like the scout Rangers who have special jungle training, we should send small units of these commandos to hunt the terrorist. The President should not keep on announcing her plans. I saw the president announcing that the government has pinpointed their location already, causing the Abu Sayyaf to escape. Also, let us not allow ourselves to be fixated on hostages. Why is it that government sends the military to attack only when they have taken hostages? These terrorist have pending warrants of arrest since last year, why not pursue and pursue them relentlessly? This government is hostage-centered, the government goes after the terrorist only after they had kidnapped many hostages.

Yazhou Zhoukan : What is your dream for the country?

Lacson : Progress for the Philippines. The people have been suffering for a long time already. we should get our acts together, we should progress like Taiwan or Singapore did.

Yazhou Zhoukan : What is your message to the Chinese community in the Philippines now suffering worries and fears about rising crimes and kidnappings?

Lacson : Even if I am in the opposition, I want to say that there is only one government, one Philippine National Police. Meaning, our problems cannot be solved without cooperating with them, no matter how bad the situation is. Reports say that many Chinese families are forced to buy many firearms, but advice them that vigilantism is a No No, vigilantism will worsen the situation. I believe we should all give the Philippine national Police a chance, but they should choose the right people to report to during crimes. Most of the Chinese were born here and grew up here, they consider themselves Filipino citizens although it is right they preserve their Chinese culture and identity. I ask the Chinese community to help the country. I also advice them to take care of your own security, be careful during these times.

Yazhou Zhoukan : How do you describe deposed President Estrada?

Lacson : He is too trusting too a fault. He so very good and kind as a person, too kind to people and his friends.

Yazhou Zhoukan : Is it true you first met Estrada when he had a quarrel with famous movie actor Rudy Fernandez over a woman ? Who was that woman?

Lacson : Yes, it was two months after martial law was declared by Marcos in 1972, it was November. Estrada was a former actor who was then already Mayor, and yes he had a physical fight with fellow actor Rudy Fernandez. The woman they are fighting over ? It is the superstar actress and singer Nora Aunor.

Yazhou Zhoukan : Did you arrest Estrada?

Lacson : Yes, I was ordered to arrest Estrada, and I brought him to Camp Crame for 24 hours detention, but he was later released through the intercession of certain powerful people. The next time I met him when he was already Vice-President and when he appointed me to the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission ( PACC ).

Yazhou Zhoukan : You have a popular image as a man of courage. What is your biggest fear?

Lacson : I don't fear anything anymore. I have been through the worst in life. I also think I've accomplished enough that I can go anytime, I'm not afraid to die even right now.

Yazhou Zhoukan : What is your worst crisis in your life?

and difficult decision to withdraw support from President Estrada. I called him by telephone a few minutes before that, telling him that we had no choice but to withdraw and that we hope to remain as good friends.

Yazhou Zhoukan : What did President Estrada say to you?

Lacson : He said that he understands my decision and my situation then. He hopes that we can meet someday again, and when we do, please tell him where did he go wrong. I think he was referring to his losing the grip on the bureaucracy, he lost his grip on the Congress ( chong yi hue ), Senate, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police. He was referring to his losing control of the bureaucracy, not referring to the cases now filed against him by the government.

Yazhou Zhoukan : Were you able to tell him what went wrong?

Lacson : I've already met and told him that he did not had a hold on the second level in the military, police and bureaucracy. He gave all his attention to General Reyes, to the generals and other top officials, there was no check and balance, he had no fallback when these top officials betrayed him and quickly shifted loyalties.

Yazhou Zhoukan : What are the three biggest problems of the Philippines now?

Lacson : Not necessarily in order, the three biggest problems are ... peace and order, the economy, graft and corruption. You want to know what is the fourth biggest problem of the country? President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ( laughs ). She is not in control.

Yazhou Zhoukan : You had earlier refused to discuss the reason why President Gloria Arroyo fears and hates you so much. Don't worry, Yazhou Zhoukan is in the Chinese language, I don't think she can read this Chinese article. Can you explain, why?

Lacson : ( laughs ) Ok, I will tell you, because you are persistent... When I met with justice Secretary Perez after the election to discuss all the many government cases against me, the meeting was arranged by a big and influential religious group, I asked him why? I was confronting him. I told him he knows that all these cases are false and without basis in truth, but why is the government persecuting me? Secretary Perez told me that he had to admit it secretly between the two of us, he had received instruction from President Gloria Arroyo to keep of filing court cases against me during the election campaign, because she sees me as a potential contender in the 2004 presidential election. She wants to run in that presidential election.

Yazhou Zhoukan : How do you find politics?

Lacson : I always hated politics, I still do today. I am only here now as Senator because I love public service more than I hate politics. I don't want to be known a a politician who lets the nation serve him, but I want to be a statesman who places himself at the service of the nation.

[ <<< BACK TO MAIN PAGE ][ PREVIOUS ][ NEXT ]