Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Monday said her department is looking at three "big names" who may have been involved in the killing of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and driver Emmanuel Corbito more than a decade ago. De Lima said the two of the accused have not been formally charged in court yet while the other personality was already charged in court but is hiding in the United States. "May mga names na nababanggit na hindi naman pala naimbestigahan dati, but big names pero hindi pa naimbestighan lahat," De Lima told reporters after she met with the DOJ panel that is handling the murder case against the former policemen linked to the Dacer-Corbito murders. De Lima, however, did not disclose their identities. Leading the current list of the accused at the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 18 are former police Senior Superintendents Cezar Mancao II and Michael Ray Aquino, who was extradited to the Philippines last Sunday ten years after he left the country. Former police Superintendent Glenn Dumlao used to be among the accused but the Manila court removed his name from the charge sheet in 2003 — a move upheld by the Supreme Court in 2005. There is another DOJ panel handling the murder case against Sen. Panfilo Lacson, but the case is no longer existent because the Court of Appeals has ordered the Manila court to dismiss the criminal information against the senator.
Vicente Arnado De Lima said that the "big" personalities have already been mentioned in one of Dumlao's three affidavits. She likewise questioned why the previous DOJ leadership did not run after the suspects. "Bakit hindi siya isinama? Hindi niyo hinabol? That's before na, wala pa ako," De Lima said. The Philippine government actually has a pending extradition request against the accused who is hiding in the US, according to the Justice chief. "Nasa States na actually ‘yung extradition papers niya. Prepared pero kaya hindi pa naisasalang ay hindi pa na-verify kung saan siya talaga sa US. But the panel has been coordinating with the US," said De Lima. While De Lima did not identify any personality, GMA News Online's check of the current list of suspects would show that former police Chief Inspector Vicente Arnado of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime (PAOCTF) is in the US and remains at large. In his Feb. 14, 2009, Mancao said Dumlao and Arnado were his team leaders at PAOCTF’s Task Group Luzon. Mancao said that sometime in October to November 2000, Arnado and another team leader identified only as "Reyes" told him that Aquino ordered them to conduct operations against former police official Reynaldo Berroya, Lacson’s long-time nemesis. "I remember two instances when Arnado and Reyes were already in a position to abduct Berroya but could not get in touch with Aquino for the final ‘go’ signal and sought mine, and which I both declined," Mancao said in his affidavit. Dumlao, in his June 12, 2001 affidavit, said Arnado was also part of the team involved in the abduction of Dacer and Corbito. "When we finally arrived on or about 1-2 p.m. at Dasmariñas, Cavite, I told my driver to park in the shaded area and just wait inside the vehicle and sleep while waiting for me. Chief Insp. Arnado immediately went ahead of his troops and after some time," he said. Dumlao also said that when he was conducting a tactical interrogation on Dacer, he was not able to "elicit anything," which he reported to Aquino. "[Aquino] then instructed me go back to base but secure any documents and give it to him. With that, I told Chief Insp. Arnado about the instruction. And he answered, ‘Sige sir, ako na bahala dito [I will take care of this]."
— RSJ/VS, GMA News 
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