Lacson camp expects 'loud whispers' from palace on Dacer case

Even as it branded the double murder charges in the Dacer-Corbito case as the Arroyo government’s last hurrah, the camp of Sen. Panfilo Lacson is bracing for possible “loud whispers" to the judge handling the case. Lacson’s spokesman and lawyer Alex Avisado appealed to the judge handling the case not to give in to what he called possible offers and threats. “Maraming nagparating mismo sa kaibigan natin na talagang bubuweltahan si Senator Lacson hanggang nakaupo si Pangulong Arroyo. Ito siguro ang kanilang huling hirit, bago sila mawala sa poder (Many friends in the know have relayed to us that the Arroyo government is bent on getting back at Lacson for his exposes against them. Since Mrs. Arroyo is stepping down this June 30, this is likely their last hurrah)," Avisado said in an interview on dzXL radio. Avisado casts doubts on testimonies The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday filed murder charges against Lacson over the disappearance and killing of PR man Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in 2000, when the senator was still chief of the Philippine National Police. The charges were based on the testimonies of former police Senior Superintendents Cezar Mancao II and Glen Dumlao. However, Avisado said that when he cross-examined Mancao, the latter admitted that he may not have heard properly Lacson’s supposed order to former Senior Superintendent Michael Ray Aquino to kill Dacer. He also said Dumlao had “cleared" Lacson when he claimed he was tortured just to implicate Lacson. Yet, he said the DOJ’s failure to take into account the results of the cross-examination and Dumlao’s claim he was tortured. Avisado added Lacson’s camp already submitted evidence belying Mancao’s claims, including immigration records that Lacson was in the United States at the time Mancao claimed Lacson supposedly gave the order to kill Dacer. Meanwhile, Lacson’s camp filed with the Manila regional trial court a motion to consolidate the cases against him and to review if there is probable cause against him. "Sana hindi magpadala sa bulong" But despite the supposed evidence in favor of Lacson, Avisado said they are still bracing for efforts from “higher-ups" to make sure Lacson is implicated. “Sana lang ang aming prayer diyan, sana hindi magpadala sa bulong pananakot o panunuhol ang ating huwes at maging very objective sa pag-resolve ng kaso (Our prayer is that the judge will not be swayed with offers or threats, and remain objective)," he said. “Ang bulong nila e napakalakas. Siguro sa lahat ng bulong ang kanilang bulong ang sobrang lakas (Their whispers are very loud. Of all whispers, Malacañang’s are the loudest)," he added. DOJ sec lashes out at Ping ‘sympathizers’ On the other hand, Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera insisted that there was no politics involved in the charges against Lacson. In a separate interview on radio station dzXL, Devanadera said the charges now give Lacson a chance to clear himself in court. “Makakabuti itong pagkakataong ito kay Sen. Lacson. merong forum, may husgado kung saan e mailalahad niya ang kanyang depensa. Ngayon kung lahat naman na kaso e ang magiging akusasyon e pulitika, e di naman tama yan (This will be good for Lacson. He now has a forum where he can refute the accusations against him. But it is also unfair to claim anything we do is politicking)," she said. Devanadera also lashed out at Lacson’s “sympathizers" including Sen. Benigno Simeon Aquino III, who questioned the timing of the filing of the charges against Lacson. Aquino had said the Palace may be trying to divert public attention from the Maguindanao massacre because it implicated allies of the Arroyos. “Posible (cover-up sa Ampatuan) lalo na habang nalooban ang Kapitolyo ng Maguindanao (It is possible the charges are meant to cover up the recent developments in the Maguindanao massacre)," the Manila Bulletin had quoted Aquino as saying about the issue. Devanadera, however, claimed that the delay in the filing of charges was more due to the numerous motions filed on the case. “Ang tanong ko sa nag-aakusa ng ganyan, tiningnan ba nila kung gaano kabilis at walang patid at walang humpay ang proceeding na ginagawa sa Ampatuan cases? Doon sa nagsasabing yan, ang tanong ko ano ang naging contribution nila para makamit ang katarungan sa namatay (To those making such accusations, did they not see how hard and speedily we worked to build a case against the Ampatuans? And what are their contributions to bring justice to the victims)?" she said. Charging Erap up to dacer family On the other hand, Devanadera said it is up to Dacer’s family to charge former President Joseph Estrada for the Dacer-Corbito case. She said the DOJ’s charging of Lacson was based on the complaint lodged by the Dacers against Lacson. “Di para sa DOJ ang magsampa ng kaso (It is not the DOJ’s place to lodge charges against Estrada on its own)," she said. - TJD, GMANews.TV