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4 in Dacer-Corbito case want charges dismissed


Four lesser known suspects in the Dacer-Corbito double murder case on Monday asked the court to dismiss the charges against them for lack of evidence. The four — Crisostomo Purificacion, Rommel Rollan, Ruperto Nemenio and PO2 Thomas Sarmiento — told the court that the prosecution does not have enough evidence to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt. “That it would certainly be unjust to proceed with the trial of case knowing that the prosecution does not have enough evidence to convict the accused," a part of their motion read. The case is being heard by Judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina of the Manila Regional Trial Court branch 18. The four were accused of conspiring to kill Salvador “Bubby" Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in an operation in November 2000 allegedly carried out by the now defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) under then national police chief and now Sen. Panfilo Lacson. Lacson fled the country two days before the Manila RTC issued an arrest warrant on him on Feb. 5, 2010. In his affidavit, former PAOCTF member Cezar Mancao II, who is also a suspect in the case, pointed to Lacson as the mastermind in the abduction and subsequent killing of Dacer and Corbito. Lacson, whose whereabouts remain unknown as of this time, has repeatedly denied involvement in the case. He may be sentenced to a maximum of life imprisonment under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code if found guilty. Dacer’s daughters last week filed in a United States court a complaint against Lacson and six others, including former President Joseph Estrada, for the double murder. They are seeking for a $20 million compensatory damage and $100 million punitive damages from the respondents. Estrada has yet to comment on the suit but his son, Senate Pro Tempore Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada, believes the case will not prosper. "In my own opinion that will not prosper. Wala kaming kinalaman sa pagkamatay ni Dacer at ni Corbito. Wala sa lahi namin ang mamamatay tao (We have nothing to do with the murder of Dacer and Corbito. We are not murderers)," the younger Estrada said on Monday. The Northern District California court gave the accused 21 days to answer the charges. Aside from Estrada and Lacson, also named respondents were former BW president and CEO Dante Tan, former head and CEO of the Philippine Games and Amusement Corp. Reynaldo Butch Tenorio, former police Senior Superintendent Michael Ray Aquino, former police Superintendent Glenn Dumlao, and former Chief Inspector Vicente Arnado. - with Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV

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