Cezar Mancao to surrender, apologizes to Lacson, Estrada

After being in hiding for two years, former police Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao II on Saturday hinted he will finally surface and face the music in the double murder of PR man Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in 2000.

Mancao, who escaped from the National Bureau of Investigation in 2013, indicated this in an interview with GMA News' Susan Enriquez. Radio dzBB indicated Mancao is somewhere in Luzon.

“Ayaw ko magaya [sa] teroristang si Marwan na namatay [na]... nagtatago,” Mancao said in an interview with dzBB, referring to the bomber killed in a police operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Jan. 25.

The Jan. 25 operation also resulted in the death of 44 Special Action Force troopers.

Mancao apologized to former Sen. Panfilo Lacson, his former boss at the Philippine National Police and the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force.

Also, he apologized to former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

Lacson, who Mancao linked to the Dacer-Corbito double-murder case, had been cleared by the Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court upheld the CA's decision.

Former Senior Superintendent Michael Ray Aquino, who Mancao also linked to the incident, was ordered released by a Manila court.

"'Yan na po... humihingi ako ng patawaran kay Sen. Lacson. Though the courts decided to clear his name, I still owe him an apology, nasira ko pangalan niya at reputation," Mancao said.

"Mahigit dalawang dekada nakilala ko siya, matino naman at responsable, sensible, fearless, incorruptible leader po," he added, referring to Lacson.

In apologizing to Estrada, his former boss at the defunct Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, he said, "sorry lang po talaga kay dating Presidente at Mayor Erap."

"Hindi siya (Estrada) kasama sa charge pero nabanggit ko, I feel I disrespected him. Humihingi ako ng kapatawaran sa kanya," he added.

Also, Mancao apologized to de Lima, whose department supervises the National Bureau of Investigation.

In 2013, Mancao escaped from the National Bureau of Investigation's detention facility a day before he was to be transferred to the Manila City Jail.

He claimed there were threats to his life at the time.

“Ito nga hong dahilan sa pagtakas ko, buhay na ho ang kapalit nito. May banta na nga sa akin noong nasa NBI pa lang ako. How much more kung nandun ako sa city jail. Alam mo napakadaling mag-utos doon,” he said in an interview with GMA News' Jessica Soho on GMA News TV's "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho" in May 2013.

Before the interview with dzBB's Benjie Alejandro, GMA's Enriquez reported on dzBB and quoted Mancao as saying he had also been "pressured" by the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo administration into implicating some personalities.

Touched by Pope Francis

But in the dzBB interview Saturday, Mancao said he decided to surrender also because he was "touched" by the visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines last Jan. 15 to 19.

"Na-touch ako at na-enlighten sa mensahe niya mercy and compassion," he said.

"Hindi ako masamang tao, alagad ng batas gumawa ng tama at mabuti sa taumbayan," he added.

Mancao also said he was the only one implicated in the case. "Sa kasong aking hinaharap ako naiwan, ako na lang nagdurusa," he said.

"Bago may mangyaring masama masabi ko at makahingi ng kapatawaran sa taong nasagasaan ko... ito na siguro ang tamang panahon," he added.

When asked if he will surrender to authorities or seek media's help, he said he is testing the waters to see what "assurances" he can get.

"Ite-test ko ang water kung ano [ang] response sa kabila. Tingnan ko [ang] assurances na maibigay sa akin. Meron na akong medyo di magandang experience sa DOJ at NBI, ayaw ko magdagdag ng kalaban," he said.

Shortly after his escape in 2013, Mancao had been freely giving media interviews of the reason why he escaped. — Joel Locsin with Amanda Fernandez/LBG, GMA News