MANILA, Philippines — Lawyer Luis Lokin Jr. said he had no participation in a P2-million “PR fund” supposedly for the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.

Through counsel Kristine Joy Diaz, Lokin said he had no participation in any of the Sandiganbayan cases involving Philippine Communications Satellite Corp. (Philcomsat) and Philcomsat Holdings Corp. (PHC) “as he does not handle any cases for them before the Sandiganbayan and other courts."

"Based on the records, it is actually Atty. Sikini Labastilla who is the counsel of the record of POTC [Philippine Overseas Telecommunications Corp.] and Philcomsat for several cases. Atty. Labastilla has already explained that the P2 million referred to in Senate Committee Report 312 was incurred as legal expenses," Diaz said.

She also said Labastilla’s explanation was consistent with the testimony of former PHC clerk Desideria Cassas that the P2-million check was for legal fees.

The Sandiganbayan First Division also lifted a warrant of arrest against Edison Pantallano, driver of Lokin, after he appeared and testified before the court.

Pantallano admitted that he was the one who cashed the check but said PHC assistant vice president and accountant Johnny Tan had ordered him to do so.

The Sandiganbayan had ordered PHC director Philip Brodett and Tan to explain an item in PHC's expense report that read, "9/23/05 2853 Cash – for Sandiganbayan, TRO, POTC-Philcomsat case 2,000,000."

The Sandiganbayan said the expense report, which had been submitted to the Senate committees on government corporations and public enterprises, tended to cast aspersions on the integrity of the court.

Locsin, Brodett and Tan have explained that the P2 million was a regular company expense but was given a malicious twist by the media.

The Sandiganbayan First Division will summon next the Senate stenographer.