PAOCTF behind Dacer abduction?

Seven agents of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) who are allegedly connected with the disappearance of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver, Manuel Carbito, last year continue to ignore invitations for questioning by the National Bureau of Investigation.

According to a source, the PAOCTF agents whom the NBI intends to question, allegedly participated in the raid of a house last Nov. 21 inside the Sun Valley Subdivision in Parañaque City.

Dacer was abducted by at least seven armed men at the corner of Zobel Roxas St. and Sergio Osmeña Highway (formerly South Superhighway) at the boundary of Manila and Makati last Nov. 24.

Corbito was driving Dacer aboard his white Toyota Revo van from his residence in Parañaque City to his Manila Hotel office for a lunch meeting with former President Fidel Ramos.

"We have information that three days before the abduction, these PAOCTF men raided a house near Dacer’s residence. It is possible that these men were conducting a surveillance operation on him (Dacer), said the highly-placed NBI source.

According to the NBI source, two of the PAOCTF agents summoned, were supposed to appear before the bureau yesterday. But for unknown reasons, the PAOCTF agents did not show up. The NBI source refused to identify the seven PAOCTF agents saying that any premature divulgence of their identities might jeopardize the investigation.

Earlier, agents of the NBI scoured parts of the Southern Tagalog region after receiving reports that Dacer and Corbito have been spotted there. So far, the families of the two abducted men have yet to receive word from their abductors.

As these developed, the NBI said they are now undergoing a "crucial stage" in their investigation of Dacer’s abduction case.

"We are now entering a crucial stage in the case. We are very careful about issuing any statements," said NBI deputy director for special investigation service Carlos Caabay.

"Malacañang sent us a faxed message inquiring about the progress of the case but even that we ignored to preserve the integrity of our investigation," said Caabay.