Erap laughs off rumors tying him to Dacer-Corbito case
03/13/2009 | 08:48 AM
MANILA, Philippines - Former President Joseph Estrada laughed off Friday speculations linking him to the disappearance and death of publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000.
Estrada, who was in Butuan City, said in a radio interview he can still sleep soundly at night and that he did not take the speculations linking him to the case seriously.
“Hahaha! Mahimbing na mahimbing ako matulog ngayon (Hahaha! I can still afford to sleep soundly at night)," he said in an interview on dzXL radio, when asked to comment on claims that he was among those who can no longer sleep because of the case.
Dacer and Corbito disappeared Nov. 24, 2000, at the height of calls for Estrada’s impeachment and ouster. The vehicle and what appeared to be Dacer and Corbito’s charred remains were found in Cavite some days later.
Earlier this month, former Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao II executed an affidavit supposedly naming the mastermind, but the Justice Department has kept mum on the details of the affidavit.
But Estrada, who was ousted in 2001 and eventually pardoned, said Dacer is his “kumpare" (buddy).
“Di ko iniintindi yan. Puro kalokohan ang sinasama pangalan ko riyan [I don’t take seriously those claims linking me to the case]," he said.
Jinggoy
In a press conference last Thursday, Senate Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy" Estrada maintained that his father was not involved in the disappearance and reported death of Dacer and Corbito, 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.
Rumors linking the former president in the case have heightened as more witnesses, including a former government official, 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.
In that meeting in Malacañang, the senator said, Dacer request for the lifting of the travel ban against then Parañaque Mayor Joey Marquez, who was then going abroad. “My father granted that request."
Earlier, Gonzalez said Mancao’s affidavit contained vital information on the case, including its mastermind, adding that 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.
Berroya
Meanwhile, Gonzalez said he reconvened the Department of Justice 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
Estrada, who was in Butuan City, said in a radio interview he can still sleep soundly at night and that he did not take the speculations linking him to the case seriously.
“Hahaha! Mahimbing na mahimbing ako matulog ngayon (Hahaha! I can still afford to sleep soundly at night)," he said in an interview on dzXL radio, when asked to comment on claims that he was among those who can no longer sleep because of the case.
Dacer and Corbito disappeared Nov. 24, 2000, at the height of calls for Estrada’s impeachment and ouster. The vehicle and what appeared to be Dacer and Corbito’s charred remains were found in Cavite some days later.
Earlier this month, former Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao II executed an affidavit supposedly naming the mastermind, but the Justice Department has kept mum on the details of the affidavit.
But Estrada, who was ousted in 2001 and eventually pardoned, said Dacer is his “kumpare" (buddy).
“Di ko iniintindi yan. Puro kalokohan ang sinasama pangalan ko riyan [I don’t take seriously those claims linking me to the case]," he said.
Jinggoy
In a press conference last Thursday, Senate Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy" Estrada maintained that his father was not involved in the disappearance and reported death of Dacer and Corbito, 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.
Rumors linking the former president in the case have heightened as more witnesses, including a former government official, 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.
In that meeting in Malacañang, the senator said, Dacer request for the lifting of the travel ban against then Parañaque Mayor Joey Marquez, who was then going abroad. “My father granted that request."
Earlier, Gonzalez said Mancao’s affidavit contained vital information on the case, including its mastermind, adding that 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.
Berroya
Meanwhile, Gonzalez said he reconvened the Department of Justice 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
