MALACAÑANG has not heard  from Sen. Panfilo Lacson since his return to the country last Saturday.

Saying Lacson should be allowed to spend time with his family first, Communications Secretary Ramon Carandang said President Benigno Aquino III has no plans yet to meet the senator.

“We haven’t heard from him yet, I think, from what I understand, he wants to spend the weekend quietly with his family, more than one year na din silang hindi nagkikita, so I think we’re just going to leave him there with his family,” Carandang said.

On March 22, the Court of Appeals ordered the Manila Regional Trial Court to lift the arrest warrant against the senator after dismissing the appeal of the daughters of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer to reconsider its decision voiding the murder charges against Lacson.

Carandang meanwhile said it is up to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to reopen its investigation into the Dacer-Corbito murder case.

“Iyun din naman yung hinihiling ni Senator Lacson… kasi ang sinasabi ay hindi patas yung proseso of investigations noong panahon ni Pangulong Arroyo so kinukuwestiyun niya yung impartiality ng proseso doon sa Dacer-Corbito,” the Palace official said.

“Ang hinhingi naman niya noon ay fair process, so sa tingin namin if senator Lacson is willing to undergo that reinvestigation and iyun naman ang hinihingi niya, then we will have no problem with it,” he added.