Lacson hopes for political ceasefire during Asean Summit

Senator Panfilo Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has expressed hopes that there will be some “respite” in political bickering at least while the country is hosting the Asean Summit this week.

“Sana may respite kahit paano (I hope there will be a respite somehow),” Lacson said in a text message Tuesday night when asked if there should be moratorium on the attacks against the President when there are big events in the country like the upcoming summit.

READ: Asean meet is Duterte’s debut as summit host

“Those from the opposition may still express their dissent pero dapat (but they must be) issue-based that will highlight policy differences but not bordering on personal attacks if only to show to the whole world that we put national interest above personal differences,” said the senator.

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito earlier said that the filing of a complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte and 11 others at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague in connection with the killings of drug suspects in the country was meant to embarrass the President.

READ: ICC case part of oust-Duterte plot — JV Ejercito

“Timing in filing of case against President Duterte in the ICC is obviously meant to embarrass the President in the upcoming ASEAN,” Ejercito said in a text message to reporters Tuesday.

But Lacson, in a separate statement also on Tuesday, said embarrassing the President before world leaders would be “one of the most unpatriotic acts and the worst disservice that one can do to his country.”

“If only in that regard, unless there is clear evidence to prove Malacañang’s assertion, I would rather give Atty. Sabio the benefit of the doubt as to his motive in filing the case at a time when the ASEAN summit will be hosted by the country this year,” he said, referring to lawyer Jude Sabio, who filed the case at the ICC.