Former Sen. Ping Lacson answers questions on effects of former President Rodrigo Duterte's arrest.
More at: https://pinglacson.net/2025/03/17/ping-lacson-makes-appeal-vs-violent-protests/
More at: https://pinglacson.net/2025/03/17/ping-lacson-makes-appeal-vs-violent-protests/
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00:00We have on our line via phone patch, former Senator and Senatorial Candidate, hoping to be back for the 20th Congress, Panfilo Ping Laxon.
00:09Senator, good morning.
00:10Good morning, Senator Ping.
00:14Good morning.
00:16Good, good morning. Thank you for accepting our invitation to join us this morning again on ASPN.
00:21Senator Ping, let's start.
00:23General question, what do you feel about the major upheaval here in our country that's unfolding and will continue for the next few months or possibly years, Senator Ping?
00:44There are mixed feelings of concern and sadness.
00:48For a long time, we have always been divided.
00:56It's okay for us to express our opinions, dissenting opinions or opposing opinions.
01:02But the problem is, if we can go deeper and raise our emotions, what will suffer in the long term is our country, not the political participants.
01:15Senator Ping, as a former chief of the PNP, have you received news that there's an unrest in the ranks of our policemen?
01:27I have also joined our army.
01:29Do you think, because as you said, this brings divisiveness.
01:34But for you, have you heard any unrest in the police?
01:40Are there rumblings?
01:42Are there unrest? Are we going to have another coup?
01:47What is your intel on your ranks?
01:54You can't ignore the fact that the debt of the uniformed services is high, not only for the active, but also for the retirees, even for President Duterte.
02:06During his time, he felt a lot of benefits in terms of doubling the salary and increasing the pensions.
02:17You can't ignore the fact that there are sympathizers, but the overt rumblings in the dissent or ruling on what happened to President Duterte is a different story.
02:30I would like to think that the members of the armed forces, including the MUPs, the uniformed services, uniformed personnel,
02:38will remain professional and faithful to their duties, not partisan political activities.
02:47I have not heard anything serious that we should be worried about if we are talking about the ranks of military and uniformed personnel.
02:59The other camp, the former president's camp, and our government has its own statement on the manner of how the former president was arrested.
03:13It is said that the arrest of FPRRD by the book, by the book, and there was a due process.
03:23The other camp is saying that the arrest was illegal.
03:27As a former PNP chief, what can you say about the manner of arresting former President Duterte?
03:35You know Ms. Ali, Ms. Pat Pino, we have heard a lot of legal opinions from legal experts, legal luminaries, experts in international law, criminal law.
03:47Coming from me, I'm not a lawyer, I can only say that whatever opinion I say, especially legal, is not counted.
03:55There is no credibility compared to those who speak, who studied law and practiced their profession.
04:06So Senator Ping, do you know Police Major General Nicolás Torre? He has been very, he is in the front, center, backwards, everything.
04:19He was a high pick.
04:21Yes. He was a high pick to Kibuloy and now to former President Duterte. What is the reason why he was chosen?
04:29Now, he is being called the attack dog of the PBBM, of this administration.
04:36Do you know him personally and what is the reason why he was chosen to catch Kibuloy and serve as an arrest warrant to PRRD?
04:50When I was a chief MP, he was under Major General Lucas Managuelod. He was the CIDG director when I was a chief MP.
04:59When I asked him what is the background of Major General Torres, he said he is a junior officer and he is a decisive official, professional.
05:09I have a good reputation with Major General Lucas Managuelod. He is retired but he is my CIDG director.
05:19According to his observation, they are both serving in the CIDG of the chief MP.
05:26I have no direct or personal knowledge about the character or reputation of General Torres.
05:36General Torres, sorry.
05:37General Torres.
05:38I will go back to the arrest. The legal issue was already discussed.
05:44But it was deliberate. It was their deliberate choice to choose mostly female police officers.
05:54That is my question. Most of them were women. All of them were wearing body cameras from the airport.
06:05Everything was caught on video. The videos will speak if there was due process, if by the book.
06:15It was not disallowed. People were not allowed to take their own videos using their cellphones.
06:24Kitty particularly was taking videos and she was posting on social media. Is that the procedure, Senator Ping?
06:32Maximum tolerance. I think maximum tolerance was observed.
06:37Because of the prevailing situation at that time, even the personality involved.
06:42Imagine, the former commander in chief, the former president, the former executive secretary and his family.
06:49If you don't exercise restraint and maximum tolerance, it will be chaotic.
06:57But I think General Torres was chosen because his reputation preceded him.
07:03His handling of serving as a warrant officer to Pastor Kibuloy is different.
07:10I heard that he was chosen by General Narbil when he asked for the recommendation of the palace,
07:19who will be the next official. Immediately, he was chosen to lead or serve as a warrant or red notice from Interpol.
07:29We also saw that he watched his interview very detailed and direct to the point, very forthright.
07:39I agree with what he said during the interview on social media.
07:46You said Senator Ping, maximum tolerance. He was with a woman, a staff member, who was hit by a cellphone by Hanilet Avanseña.
07:58Should the PNP also assert that it's their right to demand or should it be an accusation from the victim?
08:18Shouldn't the PNP issue...
08:20The victim should be called down because he can file a complaint against the person who committed a crime against this person or her person, for that matter.
08:34We heard that he won't file a case. Maybe he asked for guidance from his superior officer so that he won't hurt his pride, so to speak, the manner of speaking.
08:48I agree with what he said. Let's just forget it because it's part of the job, to face such incidents.
09:00If I'm his superior officer and he asks for my opinion, I would advise him to forget it and let's move on, for the sake of not adding to the mess.
09:13Adding fuel to the fire.
09:15It's like now, the situation in our country is getting worse.
09:23It's being reported that not only in some parts of the Philippines, even abroad, there are rallies and protests.
09:33Bring Duterte back home.
09:36Do you think the election will continue in May?
09:41Yes, I think the election will continue. In the last count, there were 61 protest rallies that were held, not just in the Philippines, but in other parts of the world.
09:59So there's a lot of emotion. It will affect the situation, the political situation in our country.
10:10Our prayer is that it won't happen because we came from that situation. There's one, there's two.
10:15If there will be a third, not only one particular group will be affected, but the whole country.
10:22That's why we need to be careful because whenever we go through something like that, it will have a bad effect rather than a good one.
10:31Senator Ping, aside from former President Duterte facing the ICC, there was also an impeachment trial of VP Sara.
10:42Supposedly, it will start on June 3 and it will pass through the 20th Congress if it continues.
10:50Do you think Duterte should have one trial first or should we continue to look at what's happening in Daheg and the impeachment trial here?
11:05If it's you, what's your opinion?
11:08The impeachment trial is under the Constitution. Once the articles of impeachment are transmitted to the Senate,
11:15there's nothing the Senate can do but to act. One way or the other, the members of the Senate will constitute into an impeachment court and pass the hearing.
11:30That's a constitutional mandate that cannot be avoided. Aside from politics, the Constitution and the legal impeachment are separate.
11:41Of course, it cannot be avoided that there will be a perception that there will be persecution because those who are facing the legal issues are at the receiving end.
11:53It cannot be avoided, especially if the supporters are hot-tempered. As you said earlier, they are adding fuel to the fire, fanning the flames of what's happening.
12:07Speaking of maximum tolerance, how will our government face this? We cannot deny that the base of support of Duterte is very broad.
12:22The father and the father-in-law will be executed at the same time in Daheg. VP Sara will be executed in the Senate for her conviction and to be removed from office.
12:34This will not happen for a long time, especially if their base of support is broad. I don't know, I hope this protest will not snowball in support of the Dutertes.
12:51Speaking of maximum tolerance, how will our government face this if this snowballs and the protests grow?
13:06Maximum tolerance is based on freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. But if there are riots and there are laws that will be violated in the course of expressing their sentiments,
13:23there is a limit to maximum tolerance because the security forces will take care of the women or the state itself. There is balance, but the prevailing standard procedure is exercise maximum tolerance.
13:45Even yesterday, this is what is being given to express. Don't allow for chaos, anarchy and violation of the security of the nation or the security of the people around. That's a different story.
14:02So Senator Pink, is this a bad timing because of the election? Do you see this as a bad timing, especially for the administration candidate which you belong to?
14:15Would this have been better if it happened non-election, non-campaign period? Or do you think this is going to be better for the administration?
14:30Based on the feedback we received, especially from local officials, especially in Mindanao and some parts of the Visayas, it has an effect on the administration candidates.
14:44There is a backlash. That's the feedback we received. We haven't validated this on the ground, but based on what we have talked to the governors, mayors, especially in those places,
14:58especially our local leaders, our supporters, their advice is if possible, don't express your opinion.
15:07But it's hard for us, like you're asking me, all you hear are comments. First of all, I'm not like that.
15:16If I can express my opinion, I will express it. So it has an effect if that's what you're talking about.
15:30The media carried the story, the stand of the government regarding the arrest of the former president.
15:42They said, yes, we don't know the jurisdiction of the ICC, but because Interpol asked us for help to implement the so-called warrant,
15:54we have to help because we are committed as a member of the International Criminal Police Organization.
16:03But now, the banner story of the Manila Times, I don't know if you have seen it, Senator Ping,
16:08that according to the documents of the International Criminal Court, there is prior knowledge about the arrest of the former president, Rodrigo Duterte, before this happened.
16:25First, the government denied that they know about the warrant of arrest for Duterte before this happened.
16:31Our government's narrative is different based on the documents of the ICC. What is your reaction to this, Senator Ping?
16:45In this time of information technology, before you speak, it's easy to do a fact-check, Alice and Pagpi.
16:57We should be careful with what we say that it's accurate and it's not obvious later on that it's the truth.
17:06I'm not judging that the news is true, that it's been a long time, that there is prior knowledge or not.
17:14But generally speaking, when we speak, we should make sure that what we say is based on the truth.
17:24Otherwise, we will be condemned. Many things will happen if it's fact-checked. You will be fact-checked.
17:32You cannot avoid being condemned if what you said is wrong or not true.
17:40As I said, it's easy to check the data, what is true and what is not.
17:47That's why whenever we return to the Senate, it's important to criminalize those who make fake news.
17:56This is really perversion. There are many fake news that are coming out. Sometimes, you don't know, it's confusing which is the truth.
18:04If it's fake news, it's not necessary that it's factual. If it's another fake news, our countrymen will be confused as to who it is and what is the truth.
18:16Senator Pink, Senator Bato de la Rosa is saying that he will ask for protection from Senate President Cheese Escudero.
18:27Correct me if I'm wrong, our guest said earlier that the Senate can only protect him if the sentence will serve six years or less.
18:39The Senate has to be in session. What can the Senate do for Senator Bato de la Rosa if he will be denied his warrant of arrest?
18:54Very limited. What you said earlier is correct. There are two limitations.
19:01The legislative immunity can only be exercised if Congress is in session and the offense only carries a low punishment or penalty, less than six years.
19:15If it's more than that, there's no immunity. If Congress recesses, there's no immunity. So very limited.
19:23What the Senate can do is, if legal or moral support can be helped, that's the only thing that Senator de la Rosa can do, if and when it comes to that.
19:37I will follow up on that Senator Pink. If he's in session now and he won't be arrested, can the Senate break the senate? It needs a break.
19:52It's not applicable because the penalty is more than six years. It's not applicable even if Congress is in session.
20:00Out of courtesy, it will be deferred to the plenary. But if I say he's in session, it's not in the session itself.
20:09It means he's in session, there's a regular session, the period of regular session.
20:16But maybe he will be allowed to serve a warrant in case that happens. He will finish the plenary. Otherwise, there's no respect, it will be disrespectful to the institution.
20:30If you think about it, the senator will be arrested while he's in session, the actual session in the plenary. Maybe that won't happen.
20:39If the maximum tolerance was exercised on the part of former President Duterte, as General Torrey said, it took them 12 hours to wait.
20:50He gave everything he asked for. Of course, that's his version. There are many videos that we don't know about because it's easy to superimpose audio on video.
21:01You think it's true, but sometimes it's not true. I'm not saying that what we are watching and hearing in the video is not true.
21:10But it's easy to do. Sometimes, there are rallies where someone is shouting, but it's not shouting.
21:18Especially now, there's AI. It's hard to distinguish among laymen like us, who are not techies. It's hard to distinguish.
21:28Even those who are good in technical, they need to use the equipment to determine the forensics, to determine what is true and what is fake.
21:44So what is your message, Senator Ping, to our countrymen in the midst of what's happening to our countrymen?
21:56My message is, it's okay to express our emotions, our feelings. I personally am a friend of former President Duterte.
22:07Back in the 1990s, Erac was the vice president and I was in the task force in Baguio. We became friends. I'm also saddened by his illness.
22:18Our message to all of us who are above the phrase, let's say, let's not cross the line. Let's express our feelings.
22:29It's not the illness of the body that is painful. Of course, there are boundaries.
22:38But I hope that there will be no physical illness, no violence, no violation of the law and committing criminal offenses.
22:50I hope we won't reach that point.
22:52I hope we can overcome this, whatever the outcome may be.
22:57At the end, the Filipinos are the ones we need to think about.
23:02The welfare of the majority is what we need to think about.
23:06Senator Ping, thank you very much.
23:08Thank you so much.
23:10Thank you very much.
23:11Long live and God bless you.
23:13Senator Ping Laxon.