Don’t be a fugitive like me, Senator Panfilo Lacson said in jest before Senator Leila de Lima left for the United States and Germany on Sunday.

De Lima was the Justice Secretary when Lacson went into hiding in 2010 in connection with 2000 double murder of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito.

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Lacson though expressed belief that his colleague would not go into hiding amid the cases filed against her in connection with her alleged involvement in illegal drugs.

He said De Lima assured him that she would come back and face the charges against her.

“Mag-interpellate sana siya sa aking bill sa anti-wiretapping dahil sabi ko Monday magre-resume. Sabi niya kasi aalis daw siya Sunday. In jest sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Bumalik ka, huwag mo ako gayahin.’ Sabi niya, ‘Babalik talaga ako’ at harapin daw niya ang kaso,” he said in an interview on Monday.

(She would have interpellated me on my anti-wiretapping bill because I told her it would resume on Monday. She said she would be leaving on Sunday. I said to her in jest, “you should come back. Don’t be a fugitive like me.” She said, “I would really come back” and she said she would face the cases.)

“But that’s her choice. If she chooses to remain, even assuming wala pang arrest warrant, pwede talaga naman siyang umalis. But option niya yan. May kasabihan nga (that there is no arrest warrant yet, she can really leave. But it’s her option. There is a saying that) the long arm of the law can easily catch up with whoever,” Lacson said.

He said there was nothing wrong with De Lima leaving the country since no warrant of arrest was issued against her and that her foreign trip had been approved by Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.

“By the way, noong umalis ako wala rin akong warrant of arrest (when I left, there was also no warrant of arrest),” Lacson said. RAM/rga

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