MANILA — Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson stressed that intelligence work is essential in locating and arresting high-profile personalities, including several individuals currently facing legal issues.

Lacson made the remark while advising law enforcement agencies involved in operations targeting prominent figures such as Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, businessman Atong Ang, former police general Gerald Bantag, and former congressman Zaldy Co, who is reportedly in France.

Drawing from his experience in law enforcement, Lacson said intelligence is central to any successful operation.

“As one who worked in law enforcement, intelligence for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between. Intelligence is the prime mover of any operation, law enforcement or military,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on DZBB radio.

He warned that without strong intelligence gathering and coordination, law enforcement operations could waste resources.

Lacson previously served as Chief of the Philippine National Police from 1999 to 2001 and was also the former superior of dela Rosa in the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF).

The senator also criticized some lawyers, saying certain legal arguments were misleading and manipulative, and rejected attempts to compare his past legal situation with that of dela Rosa.

“Spot on. Not all lawyers are created equal. Some are learned and updated on jurisprudence; some are dumb and lazy. And yes, some are devious and manipulative with the obvious intent to mislead. All are bound by the code of ethics of the legal profession though,” he said in a post on X.

He reiterated the same criticism in a DZBB interview.

“There are pretender lawyers, not all lawyers are created equal. Some are learned and study hard, some are dumb and lazy, some are devious and do nothing worthwhile but force their fake ‘knowledge’ on others,” he added in the DZBB interview.

Lacson was responding to claims made by a lawyer who suggested he had previously gone into hiding after an arrest warrant was issued against him in the past.

He clarified that during his earlier case in the 2010s, he did not violate any law and cited jurisprudence under the Miranda v Tuliao doctrine, which allowed an accused to seek judicial relief even without being in court custody. He was later acquitted, and the Supreme Court affirmed the ruling.

However, Lacson noted that the jurisprudence has since been modified in late 2025, limiting such legal remedies to six months.