Erap not worried about Mancao affidavit - Jinggoy

MANILA, Philippines - Former President Joseph Estrada is not worried about the possible revelations of former police Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao II regarding the Dacer-Corbito case, his son said Thursday. In a press conference, Senate Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy" Estrada maintained that his father was not involved in the disappearance and killing of publicist Salvador “Bubby" Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in 2000, in which Mancao is one of the suspects. "We don’t have anything to worry. Malinis ang konsensiya namin. Hindi namin character 'yung magpa-kidnap o magpapatay ng tao [Our conscience is clear. We don’t kidnap and kill people]," Estrada said. Mancao is expected to be extradited to the country in the next two weeks. This developed as more witnesses, including a former government official, in the Dacer-Corbito double murder case expressed willingness to come out to shed light on the incident. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said former Land Transportation Office head and former police Chief Superintendent Reynaldo Berroya, considered a key witness, had volunteered to testify in the case. Meeting At the Senate, Estrada admitted that Dacer had met with his father in Malacañang days before the publicist was reportedly kidnapped. "Three days before… ay nandun si Dacer sa Malacañang at masaya siyang nakikipag-usap kay Pangulong Erap, at meron pa ngang hiniling si Dacer na kung puwede ay payagan si then Parañaque Mayor Joey Marquez na i-lift ang travel ban dahil pupunta yata sa abroad si Mayor Marquez n’un at agad namang pinagbigyan ni Pangulong Estrada ‘yung request ni Bubby Dacer," Estrada said. [“Three days before Dacer’s disappearance he talked with President Estrada in Malacañang and he was requesting for the lifting of the travel ban against then Parañaque Mayor Joey Marquez, who was then going abroad. My father granted that request."] Gonzalez earlier said that Mancao’s affidavit contained vital information on the Dacer-Corbito case, including its mastermind. He said three to four officials under the Estrada administration were mentioned in the said affidavit. Estrada meanwhile expressed hope that Mancao, a former subordinate of former Philippine National Police chief and now Sen. Panfilo Lacson, would say only the truth in his affidavit. "Hintayin na lang natin kung ano ang sasabihin ni Mancao, kung ano ang nakasalaysay sa kanyang affidavit. Sabihin niya lang sana ‘yung buong katotohanan [Let’s just wait for Mancao since no one really knows what’s in his affidavit. I hope he’ll come out with the truth]," Estrada said. He said his family was confident that they would not be implicated by Mancao, adding that he personally wanted a closure on the case. “Para sa akin dapat ma-solve na talaga 'yung kaso na 'yan dahil matagal nang nakabinbin [That case should already be solved. It has been pending for so long]," Estrada said. Berroya Meanwhile, Gonzalez said he reconvened the Department of Justice (DOJ) panel of prosecutors which looked into the Dacer-Corbito case in previous years to start a preliminary investigation because of Berroya’s willingness to testify. "I reconvened the panel because I received a call from General Berroya. He’s offering to testify. He was one of the main targets. It was mentioned…hindi clear [it was not clear], but may nagsabi [others said] people were trying to get him," Gonzalez told reporters in a press conference. Gonzalez said Berroya was expected to appear before the panel on Monday next week, adding that the former LTO chief might know a lot of things "because he is a target." Berroya had earlier linked Lacson to the Dacer-Corbito case. Aside from Berroya, Gonzalez said two other civilian witnesses based in Indang, Cavite, where the killing took place, also came forward to testify. 'Clowns' For his part, Lacson said he saw Malacañang’s hand in the looming testimony of Berroya. “Malacanang has started to send in the clowns once again," Lacson said in a text message to reporters Thursday, adding that he would not be surprised if other personalities who had been pinning him on case would also surface. "I won't be surprised if the rest of the characters like Ador Mawanay, et al will be resurrected again to make my life exciting once more," Lacson said. - with Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV