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Mancao back in RP, ready to tell all in Dacer-Corbito case


DOUBLE SLAYS. With the return of former policeman Cezar Mancao II, families of Salvador Dacer and Emmanuel Corbito (pictured here) hope the truth will finally come out. GMA News TV Grab
(Updated 11:10 a.m.) MANILA, Philippines - Former police Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao II is back in the Philippines, vowing to divulge what he knows about the killing of veteran publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000. "Gusto ko rin talagang mailabas itong katotohanan, gawing legal and moral ang tamang gawin, magsabi ng totoo [I want to bring out the truth and do the legal and moral thing]," Mancao said in an interview inside the plane that touched down on Philippine soil early Thursday morning. He added that even as his life could be under threat, he is prepared to face the consequences by telling the truth on the Dacer-Corbito twin killings. "Kung hustisya ang pinag-uusapan, ay haharapin ko naman [If it’s for justice, I will face the consequences]," he said. Despite fears that the people he had linked to the deaths of Dacer and Corbito might get back at him, Mancao said Philippine government officials had assured him of his safety. "Panatag ‘yong loob ko na mapo-protektahan nila ako. Kasi maraming mga grupo na puwedeng mga nabangga ko noon [I am confident they would protect me because there are a lot of groups I’ve stepped on in the past]," he said. Mancao arrived before 5:30 a.m. Thursday on board Philippine Airlines Flight PR 103 escorted by elements of the National Bureau of Investigation headed by lawyer Ricardo Diaz, head of the agency for the National Capital Region. In a brief interview with GMA's Arnold Clavio, Mancao said he was having mixed emotions. "I am happy. I am sad. Thank you for welcoming me." Diaz said Mancao was not handcuffed during the flight. Mancao is expected to testify on the twin killings of Dacer and Corbito in November 2000. Among those he implicated in his Feb. 13, 2009 affidavit were Sen. Panfilo Lacson and former President Joseph Estrada. The two have repeatedly denied involvement in the crime. Asked what compelled him to possibly testify against Lacson, Mancao said: "Sinakripisyo ko career ko. Iniwanan ko pamilya ko. Sinunod ko yung utos ng taong nirespeto ko at pumusta rin ako. It’s about time. Bago ako mahuli, humingi ako ng tulong, wala naman akong maasahan na." [I sacrificed my career and left my family. I took risks and followed the orders of the one I respected. It’s about time. Before I was arrested, I asked for help, but there was no one I could rely on.] Back to US?
'CALM' HOME. Ex-PNP Senior Supt. Cezar Mancao looks calm for most of the PAL flight from LA to Manila on Thursday. Jay Taruc
Earlier reports have it that as part of an arrangement with the Philippine government, Mancao would fly back to the US after giving his testimony on the case. But Diaz told Clavio that he is not aware of the reported arrangement. "That's for the Department of Justice to decide...I am not aware of that." Mancao, for his part, said his possible return to the US might be unlikely. "’Di pa ako makakabalik ng Amerika siguro. Matatagalan pa [I don’t think I can go back to the US anytime soon]." The former police official fled to the United States at the height of the investigation on the Dacer-Corbito double murder case in July 2001. Asked whether he would return to government service, Mancao said that while he is "considering the matter," it is not really part of his immediate plans. NBI custody After his arrival in the Philippines, Mancao was brought straight to the NBI office in Manila where he will be secured while in the country. Justice Sec. Raul Gonzalez said that Mancao is considered a detainee and "prospective witness" for the imminent reopening of the Dacer-Corbito double murder case. In a separate television interview, Gonzalez said that the reopening of the case would be hastened with the impending arrival of former police Superintendent Glenn Dumlao. - GMANews.TV
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