DOJ chief orders new Dacer-Corbito slay probe

MANILA, Philippines -  The Department of Justice (DOJ) will reinvestigate the November 2000 killing of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito instead of elevating the case to the Supreme Court (SC).

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima admitted in a press conference it was “a very difficult decision” to order another probe of the case following a ruling of the Court of Appeals (CA) last month clearing Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who was tagged by accused-turned-witness former senior superintendent Cezar Mancao II and the Dacer family as alleged mastermind in the crime.

“We owe it to the Dacer family to pursue the reinvestigation,” she stressed.

She said she plans to come up with the proper procedures after the Lenten break.

De Lima hinted, however, that the reinvestigation would entail moves to speed up the extradition from the US of former senior superintendent Michael Ray Aquino, another primary accused in the case.

The DOJ chief also stressed that her office would continue to call for full cooperation from Lacson.

She also believes that DOJ’s reinvestigation would not weaken but rather strengthen the petition filed by the Dacer family with the SC.

“It’s better that there is a pending petition at the Supreme Court. If the results of the reinvestigation would tend to strengthen the claims of Mancao, then we can share it with the Dacer family and present that to the Supreme Court,” she said.

The justice secretary stressed that Lacson would still be covered by the reinvestigation. But if it would exonerate him, she said the Dacers agreed to then withdraw their petition in the SC.

Last month, the CA had ordered the Manila regional trial court Branch 18 to immediately lift the arrest warrant it had issued against Lacson and also nullified the charges against him due to inconsistencies in testimonies of Mancao.

Daughters of Dacer, however, appealed the CA ruling before the SC last April 11.

In a petition for review, the siblings – Carina Dacer, Sabina Reyes, Emily Hungerford and Amparo Henson – alleged that the appellate court abused its discretion in nullifying the arrest warrants issued by the Manila regional trial court against Lacson and ruling that there was no probable cause to indict him in the crime.

Petitioners said the CA went beyond its mandate since only the trial court has the power to determine existence of probable cause in a criminal case. They added that the CA also does not have the mandate to adjudge the credibility of Mancao as a witness.