Court defers ruling on Dacer-Corbito double murder case

(Updated 10:49 PM) A Manila court has sought more time in determining whether there are sufficient grounds to continue hearing murder charges filed against Senator Panfilo Lacson. The senator is accused of ordering the murders of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito in 2000, according to a case filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) last week. During the hearing’s resumption on Friday, Judge Myra Fernandez of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 18 said her decision to issue an arrest warrant or dismiss the case will be released within 10 days after the prosecution and the defense submit their comments. The senator's lawyer, Alex Avisado, immediately filed before the court a motion to review the DOJ’s resolution. But lawyer Demetrio Custodio of the Dacer family said there was no need to discuss the defense’s petition as there were bases to charge him, radio dzBB’s Teresa Tavares said. Lacson's camp was given five days to respond, the same amount of time given to the Dacer camp to submit a comment after receiving the defense’s comment. Both camps asked the court to consolidate the separate cases under the sala of Fernandez, who was already holding the previous Dacer-Corbito case. Medina granted the motion for consolidation on Monday but Fernandez has yet to accept it. During the same hearing, Lacson’s camp maintained that the justice department has no basis to implicate him in the twin killings. The charges were based on the testimonies of former police Senior Superintendents Cezar Mancao II and Glen Dumlao. In his affidavit executed in the United States last February 13, 2009, Mancao said he heard Lacson ordered Police Senior Supt. Michael Ray Aquino to "liquidate" veteran publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer. [See: Mancao’s affidavit] But in an interview over ANC, Avisado reiterated that the senator’s camp has already submitted evidence belying Mancao’s claims. Immigration records show that the senator was in the United States with former President Joseph Estrada at the time Mancao claimed Lacson supposedly gave the order to kill Dacer, Avisado said. “We submitted proof that Senator Lacson was with President Estrada at that time so there was really no basis in filing this case against Senator Lacson," said Avisado. - Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV