Lacson ordered to answer alleged involvement in Dacer case

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday ordered Senator Panfilo Lacson to formally answer his alleged involvement in the nine-year-old Dacer-Corbito case. During the continuation of the preliminary investigation, the prosecution panel led by Senior State Prosecutor Peter Ong required Lacson’s counsel, Alexander Poblador, to submit his client’s counter-affidavit within 10 days. He likewise directed Lacson to appear in the next hearing on October 8 to subscribe to his own counter-affidavit. The complaint against Lacson stemmed from the claims of former Police Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao II tagging him as the mastermind in the killing of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000. Lacson was head of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF), of which Mancao was a member, during the time of the killings. Lacson has repeatedly denied involvement in the case. Poblador objected to the submission of Lacson’s counter-affidavit, noting that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has yet to present its additional evidence. He said they need to examine the physical evidence to help them in drafting of the counter-affidavit. His request was however overruled by the prosecution. Among the evidence to be produced by the NBI are the samples of the charred bodies recovered in Cavite believed to be that of Dacer and Corbito, their dental plates, and the post- and ante-mortem report. The complaint against Lacson stemmed from the claims of former Police Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao II tagging him as the mastermind in the killing of Dacer. The Dacer children – Carina Lim, Sabina Reyes, Emily Hungerford and Amparo Henson – likewise sought to file an amended complaint before the DOJ to include the name of former President Joseph Estrada as respondent. Demetrio Custodio, the counsel for the Dacer family, meanwhile decided to withdraw the presentation of their additional witness, Lymith Bagual, so as not to further delay the proceeding. Custodio said they would just reserve Bagual’s testimony during court hearing should the case prosper. - GMANews.TV