New witness swears she saw Lacson-Dacer altercation

The new witness to be presented by the family of slain publicist Salvador “Bubby" Dacer has asserted that a week before the killing, she saw then-chief of national police and now Senator Panfilo Lacson arguing with the veteran PR man. In an exclusive interview with GMA News reporter Jun Veneracion on Thursday, Lymith Bagual recounted that sometime in November 2000, she witnessed Lacson berating Dacer at a resort in Batangas province. “Tinatanong niya si Dacer bakit hindi tumutupad si Dacer sa pinag-usapan nila. Yun na, minumura na niya (Lacson was asking Dacer why the latter was not complying with what they agreed on. Then Lacson started swearing at Dacer)," said Bagual, a laundry woman.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Bagual quoted Lacson as telling Dacer: “Hindi ka tumutupad sa pinag-usapan. Ikaw pa yung magpapahamak sa akin (You’re not following what we agreed on. You’ll get me in trouble)." Dacer then told Lacson not to blame him for what happened, according to Bagual. Bagual described Dacer as calm while Lacson slammed his fists on the table and shouted at him. The witness said she saw Dacer on Lacson’s left side. On Lacson’s right, she said, was former police Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao II. Bagual said she was about 10 meters away from their table. The conversation lasted for almost an hour. After they talked, Lacson allegedly stood up and told one of his men to get Dacer out of the room. Dacer, however, did not move. “Ang sabi nga ng driver, hindi sila lalabas. Magkakamatayan na sila (The driver said they won’t leave, and they’d rather fight to the death)." Abducted, killed A week later, on Nov. 24, 2000, Bagual said she was shocked to find out through news reports that Dacer had disappeared with driver Emmanuel Corbito. On Nov. 24, 2000 at around 10 a.m., Dacer and Corbito were abducted at the intersection of Zobel Roxas St. and Osmeña Highway in Manila, allegedly by agents of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) then headed by Lacson. Later that night, the two victims were allegedly strangled to death and their bodies burned to ashes. All that was later recovered in Barangay Buna Lejos in Indang town, Cavite province, were dental and bone fragments. Villar’s ploy? Lacson has repeatedly denied involvement in the twin killings. The senator had earlier belittled Bagual’s allegations and expected testimony in a Department of Justice hearing next week. Lacson said he was not fond of going to beaches and so could not possibly be the man Bagual saw arguing with Dacer. Lacson also accused Senate Manuel Villar Jr. – his political nemesis – of having a hand in the plan of Dacer's camp to present Bagual. The senator said Villar could have asked former Batangas governor Armando Sanchez, purportedly a supporter of Villar’s Nacionalista Party (NP), to “produce" a new witness for the case. Lacson also claimed that the Dacer family’s counsel, Demetrio Custodio, once served as Villar’s lawyer in the latter’s land dispute cases in Bulacan. Villar’s camp dismissed Lacson’s counter-allegations. “The issue is so far-fetched. Tinatawanan na lang namin ‘yan (We just laugh it off). It’s untrue," Judith Sto. Domingo, NP media officer, said. In Thursday’s interview, Bagual said there was no truth to Lacson’s counter-allegations. “Yung nagsasabi na pakawala ako ni Villar, mangilabot sila sa sinasabi nila (Those who say that I’m Villar’s attack dog, they should be horrified at what they are saying)," she said. - Sophia M. Dedace, GMANews.TV