MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang will summon Justice Secretary Leila de Lima this week to determine what step the government should take after the Court of Appeals (CA) junked murder charges against Senator Panfilo Lacson.

Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said they want to get the opinion of De Lima this week on the dismissal of charges against Lacson as ordered by the CA.

“She has not met with the President regarding this so there are no instructions yet. Secretary Leila de Lima said that she has yet to see the CA resolution. That is the status now. We’ll ask Secretary Leila de Lima this coming week for her opinion on the matter,” he said over government radio.

Lacierda was reacting to queries about the President’s directive to De Lima after the CA cleared the fugitive senator of involvement in the Dacer-Corbito murder in 2000.

De Lima had earlier said the manhunt for Lacson will continue until the court lifts the arrest warrant or declare its nullification is final.

Lacierda said they were unable to get De Lima’s official recommendation on the case of Lacson after she was confined to a hospital over the weekend.

De Lima was expected to be discharged from the hospital Sunday but Lacierda declined to reveal the illness of the Cabinet official.

Lacierda, likewise, refused to join mounting calls for Lacson to come out, saying it was up to the senator to decide his next step after the favorable ruling from the appellate court.

“We cannot impose on him what the proper and legal thing to do is. We leave it up to him on his decision because this involves his liberty, and this is also involves his perception on due process,” he said.

Lacierda said the senator went into hiding “precisely because of the persecution under the past administration since he revealed anomalies in the Arroyo administration.”

Lacierda, however, said the principle of double jeopardy does not apply in the case of Lacson in case of a reinvestigation of the Dacer-Corbito murder.

“As far as I can remember, Sen. Ping Lacson has not been arraigned and one of the requirements of the application for double jeopardy is that a person has to be arraigned first. So absent the requirement of being arraigned, the double jeopardy will not set in,” he said.

As far as Senator Gregorio Honasan is concerned, it is but high time that Lacson surfaces to face his accusers.

“Right now, I support the opinion of Archbishop Oscar Cruz, that for the process to start, his (Lacson’s) physical presence is needed. Senator Lacson should be here physically. This has been my stand even before the Court of Appeals issued a decision,” said Honasan.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada also hopes Lacson would return to work at the Senate.

Lacson broke his silence last Saturday to criticize De Lima for insisting that the warrant for his arrest is still in effect.

His comments came out two days after the CA ruled that his being charged in connection with the Dacer-Corbito double murder case was without legal basis.

Honasan said it is better that the issue be decided by the Supreme Court (SC).

“While Lacson and his lawyers can debate over this issue in the media, it is better that we wait for the final decision of the High Tribunal,” Honasan said.

Sen. Francis Escudero, a lawyer, noted that the CA's ruling can be seen as an indication on the “direction” of how the Supreme Court will decide on Lacson's appeal.

“Sen. Lacson may have a point in responding to Sec.de Lima's position... but as a colleague, I think, Sen. Lacson should now surface,” Escudero said. (With a report by Rolly T. Carandang)