Dumlao to Mancao's lawyer: Leave me alone

Former police Superintendent Glenn Dumlao, a state witness in the Dacer-Corbito murder case, on Friday told the lawyer of former police Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao II to leave him alone because he has already done his "part" in helping resolve the high-profile double murder case. "Sobra na siya, pinapakialaman niya status ko. Pakialaman niya status ng client niya. [He's too much, meddling with my status. He should stick to the status of his own client.] He should mind his own business," Dumlao told GMANews.TV in a phone interview on Friday. The former police officer was referring to Mancao's lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, who asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to reinstate him as an accused in the twin killings of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000. Mancao and Dumlao were subordinates of then Philippine National Police chief and now fugitive Senator Panfilo Lacson, a key suspect in Dacer and Corbito's deaths. Lacson has remained in hiding since the court issued a warrant for his arrest in February. Mancao and Dumlao worked under Lacson in the now defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF), the unit that allegedly carried out the twin killings. The Supreme Court, in October 2005, removed Dumlao from the list of the accused on the condition that he would become a state witness. "Sa akin, tapos na ako [For me this is already over], I have already done my part. In fact, both the prosecution and defense had already finished their direct and re-direct examination on me," said Dumlao. "This testimony of mine had been requested by the prosecution to be perpetuated. Mr. Topacio doesn't know these because he was always late in coming to court," he added in a separate statement on Friday. Dumlao likewise accused Topacio of not working for the interest of his client Mancao, but for people who supposedly just want to persecute Lacson. "May interes siya ng ibang tao (He is pushing for the interest of others)," he said. He also stood by his testimony that he was not aware of the plan to murder Dacer and Corbito and that Lacson was likewise being falsely accused. "I have been telling the truth. Sen. Lacson has nothing to do with the case [and] it just so happened that Sen. Lacson is benefiting from the truth," he said. In the Dacer-Corbito case, filed in the name of the People of the Philippines, more than 20 policemen, including Mancao, are accused of being involved in the killings. Another case, the People of the Philippines vs. Panfilo Lacson, is being handled by DOJ prosecutors led by Senior State Prosecutor Peter Ong. Both cases are pending before the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 18.—JV, GMANews.TV