Senator Panfilo M. Lacson asked the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday to stop the Department of Justice (DoJ) from proceeding with its re-investigation linking him in the Salvador Dacer-Emmanuel Corbito double murder case.

In a petition, Lacson told the SC that the DoJ’s move to re-investigate him “marks the penultimate act in the grand scheme to persecute me.”

Lacson was implicated in the death of publicist Dacer and driver Corbito on a complaint filed by sisters Emily Dacer-Hungerford, Sabina Dacer-Reyes, Carina L. Dacer, and Amparo Dacer-Henson.

The senator elevated the case to the Court of Appeals but the appellate court denied his plea for a restraining order. Thereafter, the DoJ panel led by Senior State Prosecutor Peter Ong decided to continue with the re-investigation and directed Lacson to file his counter-affidavit and to appear before the panel on October 8.

According to Lacson, the “reinvestigation was initiated after nine years, more or less, from the time of the alleged commission of the crime, and the fact that the 2010 elections are fast approaching is no coincidence, petitioner being a leading and vocal critic of the present administration.”

He told the SC that both former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez and the now acting Secretary Agnes Devanadera have prejudged the case with their pronouncements that the DoJ has gathered enough evidence to link him the double-murder cases. (Rey Panaligan)