*Dr. Rodolfo John Ortiz Teope, PhD, EdD
My daughter Juliana Rizalhea and I were curled up watching Kontrabida Academy on Netflix when a line pierced my heart: history was described as digging up the dirt on people, or uncovering skeletons in the closet. That simple, almost harsh truth stayed with me long after the screen went dark. Because, really, history isn’t just about celebrating shining heroes—it’s about staring bravely into the faces of villains, the “Na Felling-Bida” who twist emotions and weave lies, and all the other kontrabida we’d rather pretend don’t exist. Sometimes, the most heartbreaking “kontrabida” isn’t the villain everyone points at but the one who ruins the carefully written script, revealing those who hide behind the “Barong Tagalog” while covering up their sins, walking away untouched. And it’s exactly this kind of kontrabida—the one who spoils the story—that we must learn to recognize and understand.
This is who Senator Ping Lacson, Chairman of the Senate BlueRibbon Committee, has become in our public life: the kontrabida of all kontrabidas. A proud graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class of ’71, a former Chief of the Philippine National Police, and a lawmaker with decades of experience in the Senate, Lacson has proven himself time and again to be an untiring investigator—relentlessly digging beneath the surface to expose truths many would rather keep hidden, fearlessly confronting powerful elites, unraveling webs of deception, and shaking the foundations of the very institutions some believe untouchable.
I say this not only as an observer of politics but also as an educator who has taught men who are now respected leaders in the Philippine National Police. Many of my former students, as well as close friends in uniformed service within the AFP and PNP, often shared their admiration for then PNP Chief Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. They spoke of his discipline, integrity, and no-nonsense leadership that earned both fear and respect in equal measure. In their stories, Lacson was remembered not as a man who demanded loyalty, but as a leader who inspired it through example. That, to me, is a rare kind of respect—one that cannot be bought or faked. Retired Police Major General Thompson Lantion, PMA Class of ’69, echoed this sentiment, describing Ping Lacson as a leader whose unwavering commitment to discipline and justice left an indelible mark on the institution and on those who served under him.
And now comes this weathered grandfather, a neophyte
senator—old in years but new to the Senate—puffed up with arrogance, strutting
around like a know-it-all in law and investigation, as if age alone bestows
wisdom. In his arrogance, he sought to cast doubt on Lacson’s fitness to lead
the Blue-Ribbon Committee. But in doing so, he has effectively signed an
invisible waiver, giving Lacson every reason to dig deep into his past. Worse
still, this grandfather neophyte has revealed his true colors: he is blatantly
defending and lawyering for the self-confessed plunderer construction firm
owners. Only the blind—or the willfully ignorant—cannot see it.
This senator carries himself as though he is the most intelligent in the chamber. He nitpicks at every statement of his colleagues, interrupts them, corrects them, as if no one else could possibly measure up to his self-proclaimed brilliance. But arrogance has a way of blinding men to their own vulnerabilities. In challenging the integrity, intelligence, and legacy of Ping Lacson, he has forgotten one thing: skeletons don’t stay buried forever, especially when Ping Lacson is the one holding the spade.
So do not be surprised. In the coming days expect more dirt, more odor, and more bad secrets to surface about this neophyte senator. He would be wise to prepare not by plotting attacks, but by making sure his own record can withstand scrutiny—because the alternative is obvious: he will be forced to twist and deflect, attempting to turn fresh facts into lies to protect himself. And the public will watch whether those defenses hold or only deepen the wound.
When you challenge him, do not expect silence. Expect more.
Expect revelations. Expect that what was hidden will be dragged into the light,
no matter how tightly locked the closet doors may seem. For Senator Ping
Lacson, PMA graduate, former Chief of the PNP, and veteran lawmaker, plays the
kontrabida not for himself, but for a people tired of being deceived. In a
political landscape where so many villains prosper, he is the rare kontrabida
who ruins the villains’ game.
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