Mancao testifies, affirms affidavit

MANILA, Philippines - Former police senior superintendent Cezar Mancao II yesterday appeared before the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) to testify and confirm the affidavit he submitted before authorities regarding the details of the double-murder case of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000.

During the hearing presided by Manila RTC Branch 18 Judge Myra Garcia Fernandez, Mancao said he “took orders” from former President Joseph Estrada when he was a former member of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF).

These details were revealed in an interview with lawyer Alex Avisado, spokesman and counsel of Sen. Panfilo Lacson, after the hearing.

Media were banned from covering inside the courtroom and had to rely on interviews with lawyers who attended.

The hearing will resume on Aug. 13, with Mancao continuing his testimony.

Avisado clarified that Mancao has not yet testified on whether Estrada had ordered the murder of Dacer and Corbito.

“He just confirmed his affidavit and what he said during his testimony was that, at that time, he was the commander of Task Force Luzon of the PAOCTF and was directly reporting to former President Erap Estrada,” said Avisado.

He said Mancao had probably no choice and was just relying on survival instinct as he testified for the government and against the other accused.

The lawyer insinuated that Mancao may have been ordered by the Arroyo administration to pin down Estrada and Lacson.

Avisado said he and the lawyers of the other accused plan to file a petition against the judge to inhibit in the case.

Judge Fernandez did not grant the defense lawyer’s motion to stop Mancao from testifying in court.

Fernandez was supposed to hear Avisado’s motion asking the court not to admit Mancao as state witness on the double murder case.

But instead of ruling on the motion, Fernandez ordered Mancao to take the witness stand.

The move was deemed to help the court decide whether it would allow Mancao to become a state witness and remain under the government’s Witness Protection Program.

In ordering Mancao to take the witness stand, Fernandez asked for the presence of nine policemen and civilian agents arrested for the double murder case.

The nine suspects are Senior Police Officer 4 Marino Soberano, Senior Police Officers 3 Mauro Torres and Jose Escalante, Crisostomo Purificacion, Digo de Pedro, Renato Malabanan, Jovencio Malabanan, Margarito Cueno and Rommel Rollan, also former members of the PAOCTF.

Avisado said Mancao cried as he approached and hugged his former men. The suspects were Mancao’s former operatives when he was commander of the Luzon PAOCTF.

Mancao’s lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, said his client was presented to the court to justify his being a state witness. “However, there were several motions filed by the lawyers of the other accused to stop this from happening. Judge Myra Fernandez already ordered Mancao to testify today. Other co-accused detained at the Manila City Jail were also ordered to appear before the court.”

Motions were also filed by the lawyers of the other accused to stop Mancao from turning into a state witness, Topacio said.

Meanwhile, Malacañang expressed optimism that the return of former police superintendent Glenn Dumlao would hasten the resolution of the Dacer-Corbito double murder case.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said he expects the Department of Justice to properly perform its mandate in pursuing cases.      – Paolo Romero