Who's behind dirty plot to manipulate the Philippine Election

(Updated 12:05 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines - The camp of opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Sunday pointed to the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp) as the group behind the government’s attempts to link Lacson and former President Joseph Estrada to the Dacer-Corbito case.

Lawyer Alex Avisado said the entire “script," which he said included the supposed leaking of former Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao II’s affidavit, is a Malacañang production.

“Halatang isang malaking script ang sinusundan nila. Lumalabas ang direktor ng telenobelang ay ang Isafp chief at ang producer ay Malacañang [It is obvious that they are following a big script, and the director is the head of Isafp while Malacañang is the producer])," Avisado said in an interview on dzXL radio.

He was referring to Isafp chief Brig. Gen. Romeo Prestoza's phone call to Mancao last year, which Mancao reportedly informed Lacson. Mancao supposedly told Lacson that Prestoza promised him reinstatement and promotion if he implicated Lacson in the abduction and killing of PR man Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in 2000.

Prestoza is a graduate of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class of 1978 - the same class where President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is an adopted member.

'Innuendoes'

But in a text message to GMANews.TV, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde dubbed as “innuendoes" Avisado's allegation that the Arroyo administration had something to do with the supposed leak of Mancao's affidavit.

“Prestoza is not a Malacañang official. To insist that Malacañang is behind is pure and simple squid tactics. Let the [pieces of] evidence speak for themselves and let the accused controvert them," Remonde said.

Avisado, meanwhile, said they are confident that the public would not be fooled by Malacañang's efforts to demolish Lacson, who had been extremely critical of the administration, especially to President Arroyo's husband, Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo.

“Di kami nababahala. Ang mga tao ngayon matalino na [We are not bothered because people are more intelligent now]," Avisado said.

He also called on Dacer’s relatives not to allow themselves to be exploited by the Arroyo administration.

“Huwag sila magpapagamit sa gobyerno, huwag haluan ng pulitika ang kanilang paghanap sa katotohanan [They should not let government exploit them, particularly in their search for truth]," he said.

Shadows

Remonde, in a separate radio interview, said the protests of Lacson and Estrada’s camps indicate they are afraid of their own shadows.

“May kasabihan sa Bisaya, ang kawatan iniisip ang lahat na tao kawatan. Siguro matagal naming sinasabing walang kinalaman ang Malacañang dito. Baka itong mga na-concern ngayon, 'yan ang gawain nila. Pag sila ang nasa receiving end, akala nila napupulitika sila," he said in an interview on dzBB radio.

[There is a Visayan saying that a thief thinks of everyone else as thieves. We have said we had nothing to do with this. Maybe those concerned have been politicking for so long they think of everyone else as capable of politicking.] - with Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV