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- Senator Ping Lacson clarified a tweet made by online news site Rappler.com.
- He said that he never used the phrase “inimical to national interest” at the Senate hearing about NICA’s proposal.
Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson replied to a tweet by online news site Rappler.com saying that he accepted National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA)’s proposal to grant Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to shut down accounts that are “inimical to national interest”.
On November 27, Lacson tweeted saying that he never used the quoted phrase during the hearing and the interviews.
I don’t recall using or even hearing the phrase, “inimical to national interest” during the public hearing earlier today, or even during the ambush interview by the senate media.
— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) November 27, 2018
Rappler’s Camilla Elemia clarified that the quoted phrase was actually from the proposal of the NICA, and not his interview.
Hi Sen @iampinglacson! "Inimical interest" was referring to NICA's proposal, which you approved sir. And yes I agree po sir, you did not mention it during our interview po.
— Camille Elemia 陈可娜 (@CamilleElemia) November 27, 2018
The senator then said that his qualifying statement “should have been included by Rappler.com to preclude malice'”.
Even granting without admitting, my qualifying statement to make sure that the constitutional rights to freedom of speech and freedom of expression will not be violated should have been included by Rappler to preclude malice.
— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) November 27, 2018
At the Senate hearing regarding the mentioned proposal, Lacson, chair of the public order panel, said that they are studying the input, as well as money transfer services that may be linked to terrorism.
“We must be clear. The state must take immediate action in the exercise of its police powers to address the threat of terrorism.”
