New witness surfaces vs Lacson

MANILA – There’s a new witness who may pin down fugitive Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson in the Dacer-Corbito double murder case.

Lacson was accused of masterminding the abduction and subsequent execution of noted publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000.

He is facing a warrant of arrest issued by the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) handling the case and is now the subject of intensified manhunt by government authorities.

Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, one of the private lawyers in the case, said that the testimony of the witness would corroborate the earlier testimony of former police Sr. Supt. Cezar Mancao II.

Topacio cited the testimony of Mancao as saying that he heard the conversation between Lacson and former police Sr. Supt. Michael Ray Aquino to liquidate a certain “Delta”. “Delta” is the code name for Dacer.

Both Mancao and Aquino were former officers of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF), headed by then Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief and now Senator Lacson, during which time, Dacer and Corbito were allegedly abducted and executed.

However, Topacio refused to give additional information regarding the identity of the said witness upon the advice of Justice Secretary Leila De lima much more so that the processing of the witness’ application to the Witness Protection Program (WPP) is now ongoing.

It was gathered that the witness has already executed a sworn statement before the court that handles the Dacer-Corbito double murder case.

It is now up to the court whether or not to give weight to the testimony of the said witness