Habeas Corpus: The Case of Mr. Kim W(r)ong

Literally, "habeas corpus," I am told, means "you have the body." It has been more than a week since Senator Ping Lacson was first accused by Col. Vic Corpus of having amassed hundreds of millions of dollars through illegal means. More recently, news reports talked about Senator Lacson's links with "alleged drug lord," Kim Wong.

Kim Wong, part-owner in several restaurants in the Manila area and a garment/t-shirt manufacturer, has come out in the open and belied the claims of Col. Corpus. He admits to being a friend of Ping but states that he is a legitimate businessman, with no dealings in illegal drugs.

Turns out now that Col. Corpus may have also shown newsmen the wrong photo. Instead of showing a picture of Kim Wong, Col. Corpus showed a picture of a staff member of Sen. Barbers. Things are really starting to get real sloppy.

The longer these accusations drag on, without the corresponding hard evidence, the better for Ping. I did not vote for Ping Lacson nor do I want him to be president in 2004. I'm really confused now though whether with all these developments, some people want to make Ping look good or bad. I don’t know if the purpose is to really nail him given all these accusations or to give him time to defend himself or clear his tracks. Things are really beginning to look blurred from where I stand.

Col. Corpus says he will come out in due time with evidence to support his charges. Well, the due time has come. We cannot continue shooting from the hip with nothing to back us up. "Show me the body, the body of evidence." Otherwise, let's hold off on all these announcements and blunders. We may yet prove Joma Sison right when he says that "military intelligence" is truly an oxymoron.