Senator cuts ties with Puro Intriga na lang Gang or 'Ping'

MANILA, Philippines – Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chair Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday said he will cut ties with the "Puro Intriga Na-Lang Gang" or Ping, referring to Senator Panfilo “Ping" Lacson who bared "double insertions" for a C-5 road extension project in the 2008 national budget. In his privilege speech on the P200-million "double insertion" mess, Cayetano scored Lacson for creating a hype over the issue, making it appear that there are “bad cops" in the Senate. “Suddenly, lahat ng ginawa ko para sa kanyang mata ay mali. Mga pulis ba tayo? Senator Lacson made it appear that he is the good cop," Cayetano said. "Well, if we're policemen here we should all be good cops. We should not make it appear na may good cops at bad cops dito," he also said. Cayetano likewise maintained that due process should be followed in the investigations on the alleged redundant entry anomaly. "Due process is at the core of any... lawyer. Due process means we listen first before we condemn," Cayetano said. “Unfortunately Sen Lacson did a different thing - he shoot first then asked questions," he added. Cayetano and Lacson supposedly had close ties prior to the mess. Cayetano said that Lacson’s grudge against him started after he decided to support Senate President Manuel Villar’s bid for Senate Presidency last year. "That this started when I did not support Lacson's choice for Senate President and when I decided to join the camp of Senator Villar as far as his Senate presidency is concerned." “PING stands for ‘Puro Intriga na lang Gang.’ We are both against graft and corruption but since I did not support his -- for Senate President, suddenly lahat ginawa para sa kanyang mata ay mali ," Cayetano added. Due to this, Cayetano said he will formally cut ties with Lacson. “After many, many unfair criticisms from Sen. Ping Lacson, wherein I decided to just be quiet and respect him because we're allies in the fight against corruption I decided finally to -- myself from him." Lacson, in a privilege speech Monday, lashed at Senate President Manuel Villar for allegedly sponsoring a congressional insertion in the 2008 GAA that resulted in the double funding of the extension project for the Carlos P. Garcia Highway (otherwise known as C-5) and Sucat Road in Parañaque City. Lacson said aside from the original P200 million budget for the project, Villar pushed for another P200 million allocation. Cayetano had earlier said that Lacson’s speech lacked enough grounds to portray corruption. “Unang una 'yung bombang pinaputok rito ay watusi lang kasi ang nagyari ay nagpakita ng napakaraming numero at nag-talk generally about corruption. Pero wala talagang tinukoy na kung saan at kung paano 'yung corruption o kung sino 'yung gumawa ng corruption," Cayetano said. - Sophia Dedace and Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV