Lacson dismisses rehashed charges

NEGROS Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said yesterday he is confident that his name will be cleared on what he described as rehashed charges against him.

He was linked to the illegal drug trade in northern Negros.

“It is the same affidavit against me except this time, it was made by four separate personalities and has been filed with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI),” Lacson said.

The latest affidavit made no more mention of him being a user, its now him as a protector, he said.

Lacson said he has already forwarded the matter to his counsel and that a press conference is set today by his lawyer.

In separate complaint affidavits filed on October 3 before the NBI central office, Alfredo Hulleza, a kagawad (councilman) of Barangay Bantayanon, Calatrava town; Cipriano Jimenez of San Carlos City; Cheryl Alburo of San Carlos City; and Prudencio Mahilum of Calatrava named Lacson, San Carlos City Vice Mayor Rene Gustilo and businessmen Mariano Antonio Cui and Ildefonso Virtucio Jr. as leaders of the alleged San Carlos drug cartel.

When asked who’s the person behind the charges, he answered: “Your guess is as good as mine as to who is behind this. I don’t care what is the reason but I will face this and clear myself.”

Meanwhile, Lacson will make a presentation for the province today in a conference sponsored by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Most Business Friendly Provinces in Manila.

Lacson said he will make the pitch to entice investors on the need for additional hotel rooms as well as on power generation.

Lacson pointed out that during the last meeting of the Provincial Development Council, the business sector emphasized that power is tighter - that once a power plant closes for maintenance, we would have a shortfall of power in the

province.

Lacson also said that another area that he will pitch investors for is logistics and Business Process Outsourcing-information Technology.

“We can show them that we have the land, all we need is just investors,” he further said.

Lacson said that the sugar industry is still there but “what we are trying to show them is that we cannot totally depend on sugar. We have other areas we can invest in.”*