The statement of Senator Trillanes, if true, is sending the wrong message to Filipino people. We should remember that Arturo Lascanas is a self-confessed killer of media personality Jun Pala. There are three warrants of arrest issued against Arturo Lascanas by the Regional Trial Court of Davao City.

                                                                   Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II

“Senator Trillanes should be very careful about his pronouncements that there is a possibility that Arturo Lascañas, the discredited witness he presented before the Senate may have obtained political asylum abroad. It sends a very wrong message to the Filipino people that a person charged with murder and who has several warrants of arrest issued against him by the proper court can escape criminal liability by the mere expediency of seeking an asylum abroad”, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said.

“Perhaps Senator Trillanes forgot that his witness, Arturo Lascañas is the self confessed killer of media personality Jun Pala. Arturo Lascañas admitted to it. If Arturo Lascañas will be able get an asylum, he will be evading the penal consequences of a criminal act to which he admitted to doing”, Secretary Aguirre added.

The media, both local and international should oppose the grant of an asylum to Mr. Arturo Lascañas because the person murdered in cold blood by him is a media personality. Mr. Jun Pala is the media’s brethren in the profession. Otherwise, all that a media killer in the future will do is to seek the help of a Senator Trillanes and ask him to arrange for the grant of a political asylum abroad to escape punishment for murder.  It is wrong, so very wrong”, Secretary Aguirre added further.