Filtered By: Topstories
News

DOJ ends probe on Lacson's alleged link to Dacer case


A Department of Justice (DOJ) panel on Thursday wrapped up its preliminary investigation on Senator Panfilo Lacson's alleged involvement in the nine-year-old Dacer-Corbito case even without his counter-affidavit. The panel of prosecutors turned down the request of Lacson’s lawyers, Alexander Poblador and Gregorio Fernandez, to extend for 10 days the deadline of the submission of the counter-affidavit. “We have to put an end to this. There will be no end to this, otherwise. They had so much time, and yet they want more," said Senior State Prosecutor Peter Ong, the head of the DOJ panel. Ong said the case is now deemed submitted for resolution, which means the panel would soon rule on whether Lacson would be charged in court for the murder of publicist Salvador “Bubby" Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000. Lacson, a former national police chief and head of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) during the time of the killings, did not attend any of the panel’s hearing despite a subpoena. The senator was named respondent in the criminal complaint filed by the daughters of Dacer based on the testimony of former Police Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao II, a former member of PAOCTF. Mancao himself was an accused in the same case pending before the Manila Regional Trial Court before becoming a state witness. Mancao, in his testimony executed while undergoing extradition in the United States, tagged Lacson as mastermind in the abduction and killing of Dacer. Fernandez from the defense panel said they were not given fair treatment in the investigation. “Perhaps some people are out to get him [Lacson]," he said without elaborating. - GMANews.TV

LOADING CONTENT