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Lacson admits killing someone 'in self-defense, in line of duty'

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Trishia Billones, ABS-CBN News

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1830096" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>MANILA - Presidential aspirant Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Monday said he had killed someone in self-defense and in performance of his duty as a law enforcement officer.</p><p>Lacson, a former chief of the Philippine National Police, however stressed that the Kuratong Baleleng case, which he had been linked to in the past, had been resolved by the courts and he was acquitted despite public opinion against him.</p><p>&quot;In self-defense and in the performance of our duties as law enforcement officers? Yes,&quot; he told ANC&#x27;s Headstart when asked if he had killed someone. He did not elaborate further.</p><p>Although he did not specifically mention the case surrounding the death of members of the notorious Kuratong Baleleng Gang, when he was asked about it, Lacson pointed out that this has been resolved by the courts. </p><p>&quot;Yung Kuratong Baleleng, it passed through separate or different trials. Na-dismiss nang 3 times yan. At least 3 times na-dismiss, pero unfair sa amin because we were drowned in this propaganda war, talagang we were judged. Sa public opinion, guilty na kami. Hindi man lang inisip na meron tayong mga korte na nagde-decide. We were acquitted not only once, not only twice, but three times. But it kept coming back,&quot; he said.<br/> <br/>(Kuratong Baleleng passed through separate or different trials. That was dismissed 3 times. Dismissed at least 3 times, but it&#x27;s unfair to us because we were drowned in this propaganda war, we were really judged. In public opinion, we were guilty. They did not even realize that there is a court to decide on that. We were acquitted not only once, not only twice, but three times. But it kept coming back.)</p><p>Lacson was the leader of the Task Force Habagat of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission when the alleged rubout happened in 1995. The case was resolved with finality in 2013, when the <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/03/04/13/its-final-ping-absolved-kuratong-baleleng-case">Supreme Court</a> maintained a lower tribunal&#x27;s decision clearing Lacson and 33 others of murder charges.</p><p>In the interview, he said it&#x27;s unfair that when the case is brought up against him in more recent days, the public seem to forget the notoriety of the Kuratong Baleleng Gang when this incident happened.</p><p>&quot;I think it’s unfair to me, to those people because nakalimtan na ba natin na during those times, 2 or 3 times a week, merong nahoholdap na bangko, pagkatapos may napapatay na mga teller, na security guard?...Yun ang nakalimutan ng mga kababayan natin. Ang naisip lang si Lacson at yung mga kasama niya na pumatay sa Kuratong Baleleng.,&quot; he said.</p><p>(I think it&#x27;s unfair to me, to those people because have we forgotten that during those times, 2 or 3 times a week, a bank is robbed and tellers and security guards are killed? That&#x27;s what our countrymen have forgotten. They only remember that Lacson and his companions killed members of Kuratong Baleleng.)</p><p>Lacson also agreed that the present situation where police officers are empowered has turned abusive towards the ordinary folk, adding that this became evident in one of their hearings at the Senate Public Order Committee.</p><p>&quot;We had resource persons who testified na yung inuna ng mga scalawags na pulis, yung mga runners nila before President Duterte took over because they might tell on them,&quot; he said. </p><p>He noted that there was a couple from Antipolo who said their child was killed because he was asked to &quot;recycle&quot; seized drugs. </p><p>&quot;Sinabi nila na &#x27;yung pumatay sa anak namin, ito &#x27;yung nagpapabenta sa anak namin ng droga. Ito &#x27;yung recycled.&quot;</p><p>&quot;So mali (it&#x27;s wrong), it started on the wrong foot because when you tolerate something like that, it grows bigger and the problem becomes more serious. So dapat, nip in the bud, kung merong ganun, make them answerable (You should nip it in the bud if there&#x27;s something like that, make them answerable),&quot; he said.</p><p>If elected as president, Lacson said he would be iron-fisted &quot;against notorious criminals&quot; but will perform his mandate &quot;in accordance with the rule of law.&quot;</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1806366" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Presidential aspirant Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Monday said he had killed someone in self-defense and in performance of his duty as a law enforcement officer.

Lacson admits killing someone 'in self-defense, in line of duty'

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Lacson admits killing someone 'in self-defense, in line of duty'

Trishia Billones,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 15, 2021 10:42 AM PHT

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Updated Nov 15, 2021 12:50 PM PHT

Read More:

Panfilo Lacson

Kuratong Baleleng

Halalan 2022

2022 elections

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