Lacson nemesis now PASG chief in Davao

A retired police general who in 1998 discovered the alleged wiretapping activities of then fellow police officer Panfilo Lacson against critics of then Vice President Joseph Estrada has been appointed as provincial director of the government’s anti-smuggling group. Former police Director Eduardo Matillano will be the head of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) in Region XI (Davao region), according to PASG chief Antonio “Bebot" Villar Jr. "General Matillano had proven his worth during his stint as [Philippine National Police] director for Region XI where he ended the path of the dreaded Pentagon Gang, a kidnap-for-ransom gang that long terrified the known and the wealthy," Villar said. Matillano exposed the wiretapping activities of Lacson, now a senator, when he led a raid on the office of Task Force Alpha at the second floor of the Kiangan Hall at Camp Crame a few months before the 1998 national elections. Several wiretapping materials and devices were confiscated by the raiders, blowing the lid off alleged spying activities by Lacson’s group against Estrada’s contenders in the 1998 presidential elections. The late President Corazon Aquino was allegedly one of the wiretapping victims of Lacson. It was also during Matillano’s term as director of the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in 2000-2003 that several suspects in a series of bombings in Mindanao were arrested. Villar said Matillano’s expertise in law enforcement is essential in the government’s fight against smugglers in Region XI, where he said smuggling of natural resources is rampant. He added that Matillano is familiar with criminal activities in Region XI since he is a resident there. Matillano is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of ’71. Among his classmates were Lacson and Senator Gregorio “Gringo" Honasan. - GMANews.TV