PHILIPPINE NEWS SERVICE — SENATOR Panfilo “Ping” Lacson believes that one of his colleagues connived with the Malacanang to include him in the Dacer-Corbito double murder case.
Lacson cited the case of three mediamen who reported the money brought to the U.S. for the bailbond of former Police Colonel Glenn Dumlao raised by the Department of Justice.
“Yun nga at unang-una wala pa namang petition for bond si Dumlao, magpa-file pa lang ng petition for bond, bakit media rito meron agad na $100,000 na bond? Saan nanggaling ang amount? Di alam ng huwes, ng abogado ni Dumlao magkano ang bond na utos kay Dumlao para pansamantalang makalaya? Bakit pinapatulan natin ang istoryang walang basehan at puro kasinungalingan? “Yan ang nakakapagtaka,” Lacson said.
The senator believes that aside from Malacañang, there is “someone” behind such malicious issues and text messages against him.
“Palagay ko may kumakarga pa rito. Di ba naman talaga may mga kalaban din tayong init na init sa atin. Palagay ko dahil may issue, sumasakay sila pinapaypayan nila,” Lacson said.
Lacson also confirmed that his colleague also used a public relations group in order to further indict him in the case.
“May suspetsa ako sino may mga connection sa media or PR persons na gumagawa nito. Ako pikit mata na lang, sasagutin ko na lang. Kakampi ko dito ang totoo, yan ang sasabihin ko,” Lacson added.
Earlier, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said that Lacson should avoid overreacting and instead to ready himself to face the music.
Remonde said that certainly Lacson will have his day in court, even as he rejected Palace hand in the revival of the case.
He said that it is Lacson’s former colleagues at the Philippine National Police Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force who have accused him of involvement in the killing of slain publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito.
He also said that it is Dacer’s family who filed murder charges against Lacson.
Remonde said that Lacson’s allegations are mere proof of politicizing the Dacer-Corbito case to gain public sympathy and divert public attention of his reported involvement in the case.
“The charge of the heinous crime of murder requires proof beyond reasonable doubt,” he said
He said that Dacer and Corbito’s clans have all the right to seek justice for the deaths of their loved ones.
Meanwhile, the extradition of Cezar Mancao and Glenn Dumalo who are key figures in the double murder case may be delayed for another 60 days.
Mancao and Dumlao are set to appear as witnesses in the extradition hearing of Michael Ray Aquino.
The decision, made on March 26 (March 27 in Manila) by Magistrate Judge Esther Salas, who is presiding over the Aquino case, disappointed Mancao’s lawyer, Arnedo Valera.
Aquino, Mancao, and Dumlao — all former police officers — are subject to extradition to the Philippines to answer for the Dacer-Corbito double murder, which happened in November 2000.
Both Dumlao and Mancao welcome their pending extradition. In fact, they signed affidavits incriminating themselves and implicating Aquino and their former superiors, Sen. Panfilo Lacson and former President Joseph Estrada.