10 suspects in Dacer-Corbito slay plead ‘not guilty’

Ten suspects arrested in the 2000 abduction and murder of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito pleaded "not guilty" yesterday during an arraignment at a Manila court.

Entering their plea before Judge Myra Garcia Fernandez were former members of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF), namely: Senior Police Officer 4 Mariano Soberano, SPO3 Mauro Torres, SPO3 Jose Escalante, SPO1 Ruperto Nemeno and PO2 Thomas Sarmiento Jr.

Joining them were brothers Renato and Jovencio Malabanan, Margarito Cueno, Rommel Rollan, all residents of Indang, Cavite and Crisostomo Purificacion, of Trece Martires City.

Of the 20 respondents in the double-murder case, 11 are detained at the Manila City Jail, two are already dead, while the others, including Senior Superintendents Michael Ray Aquino and Cesar Mancao II, remain at large.

Excluded from the list were Alex Diloy, brothers Jimmy and William Lopez and Senior Superintendent Glenn Dumlao. The three, except for Dumlao, are under the Witness Protection Program of the Department of Justice.

Dumlao was not entitled for being a public officer. He has been placed in the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detention Group of the Philippine National Police.

It was Dumlao who implicated Aquino, Mancao and several other officers of the PAOCTF.

However, no formal charges have been filed against Aquino and Mancao pending final resolution of the petition of Dumlao to turn state witness.

Dacer and Corbito were abducted on Nov. 24, 2000 after their vehicle was blocked in San Andres, Manila as the publicist was on his way to his office at the Manila Hotel.

Their charred bodies were later found in a remote barangay in Indang, Cavite. Forensic investigation showed that the victims were first strangled before they were burned.