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Murder case filed vs Lacson for Dacer-Corbito killings


The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday filed double-murder charges against Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson in connection with the twin killings of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito a decade ago. Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said government prosecutors had filed the case at the Manila regional trial court, where a branch is already handling the revival of the Dacer-Corbito double murder case. "This morning, the DOJ filed the information against Senator Panfilo Lacson, one for the murder of Dacer and the other for the murder of his driver, Corbito," Devanadera told reporters.

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The deaths of Dacer and Corbito (top) were allegedly masterminded by former PNP chief Lacson (lower left), according to the Feb. 13, 2009 affidavit of ex-policeman Mancao (lower right).
» Mancao affidavit points to Lacson as slay mastermind
'Tenuous' evidence Lacson, a staunch critic of the Arroyo administration, said that while he expected the DOJ to bring the matter to court, he was hoping that the court would not find probable cause to indict him because the charges were based on "tenuous evidence." "I already filed a motion for judicial determination of probable cause with the court. I'm hoping that the court will reverse (the) DOJ on the issue of probable cause. I had long expected (the) DOJ to insist on filing the information in court no matter how tenuous the evidence is," Lacson said in a text message to reporters. The senator likewise said that he could not be arrested unless the court issues a warrant. Lacson cannot use congressional immunity to shield himself from arrest once the court issues a warrant, a lawyer who requested anonymity told GMANews.TV in a phone interview. Under Article 6, Section 11 of the 1987 Constitution, "A senator or member of the House of Representatives shall, in all offenses punishable by not more than six years imprisonment, be privileged from arrest while the Congress is in session. No Member shall be questioned nor be held liable in any other place for any speech or debate in the Congress or in any committee thereof." However, Lacson cannot invoke the said portion of the Charter because the punishment for murder is more than six years, the lawyer said. He also clarified that the court would not immediately arrest Lacson just because a complaint had been filed against him. "First, the case will have to be raffled off. The judge, who will get the case, will study the information or the complaint to determine if there is a probable cause. If there is, the court will issue a warrant," the lawyer said. Mancao's affidavit State prosecutors on Thursday asked the court to consolidate the fresh charges to the double-murder case now being heard by the Manila RTC - Branch 18 under presiding judge Myrna Fernandez. In August 2009, the said court revived the case following the extradition from the US of former police officers Cezar Mancao II and Glenn Dumlao. The two, who had been linked to the killings, were members of the now defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF), formerly headed by Lacson. Members of the PAOCTF allegedly carried out the crime on Nov. 24, 2000 in Cavite, Lacson’s home province. Mancao, and Lacson’s known long-time aide, former Senior Superintendent Michael Ray Aquino, along with 20 other former PAOCTF members, are among those listed on the court’s double-murder charge sheet when it reopened the case last year. Aquino is still in the US contesting the Philippine government’s efforts to extradite him, while Mancao is asking the court to remove his name from the list of the accused. Radio dzBB's Teresa Tavares earlier quoted Senior State Prosecutor Peter Ong as saying that the charges against Lacson were based on documents submitted by the Dacer family and the February 13, 2009 affidavit of Mancao. In his testimony executed while undergoing extradition in the US, Mancao tagged Lacson as the mastermind behind the crime, which was allegedly carried out upon the order of then President Joseph Estrada. Both Lacson and Estrada have repeatedly denied involvement in the killings. [See flash animation below to see portions of Mancao's affidavit.]
The legal counsel of the Dacer family on Thursday declined to comment on the DOJ's move. "Sa totoo lang, wala pa akong info kung totoo, wala pa kaming na re-receive na resolution from DOJ (We haven't received a copy of the DOJ resolution, if it is true)," lawyer Demetrio Custodio told radio dzBB, adding that the Dacer sisters were yet to be informed about it as well. — Sophia Regina M. Dedace/Amita O. Legaspi/Aie Balagtas See/ARCS/NPA, GMANews.TV
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