Mancao returning to RP after making deposition, says lawyer

CHICAGO – Cezar O. Mancao II, one of the former Philippine police officers linked to the Dacer-Corbito double murder case, will be breaking ranks with his long-time colleagues in uniform. If his former fellow Philippine police officers Michael Ray B. Aquino and Glenn G. Dumlao would like to mark time, former police Superintendent Mancao is going to march forward. In an e-mail to this reporter Mancao’s lawyer, Arnedo Valera, said that Mancao, 47, “is thankful to Judge (Esther) Salas ordering his deposition and he hopes that after this, his extradition will be expedited." Magistrate Judge Esther Salas of the United States District Court of New Jersey in Newark earlier denied a petition by Aquino to require the presence and testimony of Dumlao and Mancao at his (Aquino’s) extradition trial on July 1. The petition was seen as an attempt by Aquino to stop Mancao from going to the Philippines to provide testimony in the investigation into the alleged abduction and killing of publicist Salvador “Bubby" Dacer and Dacer’s driver, Emmanuel in 2000. Mancao is said to have linked former President Joseph Estrada and Sen. Panfilo Lacson to the case. Both Estrada and Lacson denied having anything to do with the double murder case. Valera said Mancao is going to give his deposition on May 21, at 9:30 a.m. at the office of the US Attorney’s Office in Miami, Florida in his presence and assistant United States attorneys. “This is a good news for Cezar. Hopefully, after the deposition, he will be scheduled to leave for the Philippines," the lawyer said. Valera said that Assistant US Attorney Eric T. Kanefsky, the government prosecutor in the extradition case of Aquino at the US District Court of New Jersey in Newark informed him about Mancao’s schedule of deposition. He said he had a six-hour face time with Mancao on May 14 in Miami in preparation for the deposition. Valera said “based on his declaration to me, he (Mr. Mancao) is looking forward to giving his deposition. “He will, in fact, attest based on his personal knowledge that Aquino is directly involved in the double murder of Dacer and Corbito and Cezar is maintaining his innocence. “Cezar said that he will affirm his affidavits of March 1, 2007 and Feb. 14, 2009, stating Mr. Aquino’s involvement in the double murder case." Valera also said “if Mr. Aquino and Mr. Dumlao are not willing to go home to shed light on this (double murder) case for which they are directly involved, then, I am. He does not want to be dragged into their dilatory game because all his statements, stating Aquino’s involvement are done freely and voluntarily without duress and intimidation by anybody." Valera added, “as counsel for the Mancao family, we look forward to him going home and help resolve the double murder case so that justice will be met to the families of Dacer and Corbito and for the sake of the Filipino people, whom he (Mr. Mancao) has obligation to tell the truth." While Judge Salas rejected a petition to order Dumlao and Mancao to be present at the extradition trial of Aquino on July 1st, she allowed Mr. Aquino’s lawyer, Mark A. Berman, to depose Mancao and Dumlao in the presence of assistant United States attorneys. Mancao waived his extradition while Aquino and Dumlao are fighting it. They were all indicted in the Dacer-Corbito slay. If Mancao is finally extradited to the Philippines, the Philippine prosecutors can re-open a preliminary investigation to establish probable cause if Sen. Lacson, then chief of the Philippine National Police, and cformer President Estrada, had conspired in the double murder. Aquino had opposed his extradition during a trial that starts on July 1, 2009. The depositions of Mancao and Dumlao are going to be introduced as evidence during the trial. At the same time, Dumlao, who also opposed his own extradition, was already certified for extradition but his wife, Merlyn Cejo, filed a petition for habeas corpus before the US District Court of Eastern New York. Following the judge's denial of the petition and voiding of the stay of Dumlao's extradition, Dumlao now elevated his appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York. - GMANews.TV