MANILA, Philippines. March 16, 2010. The Department of Justice on Monday said it is verifying reports that fugitive Sen. Panfilo Lacson has been sighted in Rome, Italy. He was earlier reported to have been sighted in Australia.
Justice Secretary Alberto Agra said the lawmaker may have been passing thru, adding that the senator’s whereabouts remain unknown.
He added, however, the sighting in Italy confirms suspicions by the National Bureau of Immigration that Lacson is no longer in Hong Kong.
Lacson is facing murder charges before the Manila Regional Trial Court for allegedly masterminding the killing of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito. The senator has denied the charges, saying that it was then-President Joseph Estrada who ordered the killings in 2000.
Lacson left the country last January 5 and had reportedly visited Macau and Guangdong province in China.
Last month, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) placed Lacson on its “red notice” list of wanted persons. Inclusion in Interpol’s red notice list means that police authorities in 188 member states are requested to arrest the wanted person, with a view to extraditing the same. – ? (abs-cbnNews.com)