Lacson to Duterte: Accepting gifts not graft? Who’s ignorant?

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday denied that he didn't know what he was talking about when he said that government officials and employees who accept gifts in the course of their duties were violating the law.

Lacson made the remark after President Rodrigo Duterte said that the former chief of the Philippine National Police was ignorant of the country's laws.

In a press statement, Lacson reiterated his stand that cops accepting gifts out of gratitude and earning extra cash from video-karera was wrong.

“Is this not graft, Mr President? Pray tell, who is ignorant?” Lacson said.

Lacson in his publicized comments disagreed with Duterte when the President said that police officers could receive gifts from kind or generous benefactors.

Duterte would later clarify that he was only referring to token or nominal gifts.

Lacson said that he and Duterte were both against corruption in government.

“If we are not complementing each other in this regard, there must be a problem somewhere,” Lacson said.

He said aside from his Twitter posts, he only comments on issues when asked and not even all the time.

“I play 'dedma' when I am not familiar with the issue. I may not be a lawyer but I know how to read and understand the law that I read, or ask my lawyer-staff when I don’t,” Lacson said.

Duterte in a speech on Tuesday criticized Vice President Leni Robredo for disagreeing with him on government officers accepting gifts.

He said he could forgive Lacson for his "erronerous tongue."

"When I said that the policemen can accept gifts in gratitude but in small token, I was stating the words of the law. Hindi man nila alam na ano. I can forgive Lacson for coming out with an erroneous tongue,” Duterte said in his speech.

“Maybe because he’s not a lawyer. But his penchant to just right away in every issue dito, I think he’s running for President. But I would caution him to be more circumspect because pagdating ng panahon ‘yan, ‘yan ang magagamit ng mga ano niya, mga kalaban niya. Sheer ignorance. Trying to be a crusader but ignorant,” he added.

Lacson said that he was not even sure if he would run for President, “so I do not know what he is talking about.”  —NB, GMA News