MANILA, Philippines - This pertains to the article of Ms. Ana Marie Pamintuan entitled “Ghosts of the Past” in the Sketches Column published in the Opinion Page of The Philippine STAR on March 6, 2009.
The article recalls PR man Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito’s reported abduction and killing which allegedly involved some members of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force. In the said item, Ms. Pamintuan posed a question:
“Why would the Philippine National Police want a public relations man dead?”
While it holds the possibility that there maybe some police personnel involved in the case, we take a more resolute stand that it is never a practice in the PNP, as an organization, to tolerate such criminal acts. Though the suspects were members of the PNP at the time it was committed, it does not logically follow that the PNP would have a hand in it.
The ongoing transformation program of the PNP sets forth its focus to correct some reported malpractices of uniformed personnel. Never did we want a PR man dead or anybody else. In the face of this issue, the PNP wants to see the truth behind the Dacer-Corbito case. It is needless to speculate and, in this light, we submit that the proper and sensible thing for us to do is to await what the witnesses have to say and the result of the investigation based on evidence and facts.
More power. — JESUS A. VERZOSA, CEO VI, Police Director General, Chief, PNP