Key witness in Dacer-Corbito murders received P150M check—Lacson

Cezar Mancao. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson revealed Thursday that a P150 million check was allegedly deposited in the account of his former aide, Cezar Mancao, last year.

At the hearing of the Senate finance committee, Lacson questioned the executive director of the Anti-Money Laundering Council, Vicente Aquino about account number 002150-086-06 amounting to P150 million.

“I have no way of saying whether it’s authentic or not,” Lacson told the committee.

But Lacson said, the transaction was “made in favor of Cezar Mancao.”

“May sagot po ako diyan . Mamaya ko na sasabihin [I have an answer to that. I will tell you later],” Aquino answered.

After hearing Aquino’s statement, Lacson told the committee that he would no longer ask questions on the matter.

But when pressed later after the hearing, the senator confirmed that Mancao was the owner of the account and the check deposited last year.

But Lacson refused to identify the source of the money.

“As to the source, abangan ang susunod na kabanata [watch out for the next chapter],” the senator added.

“The source is not who you think it is. All I can say, at this point, I expect some ugly twists and turns into this chapter of my life story,” he said, “With a little bit of luck and sleuthing, I can rip this episode wide open one would think it will really look like a telenovela.”

Asked if he has a shocking revelation about this, Lacson said, “That’s what I am anticipating to happen. Twists, turns, curls, triangles, etc.”

It was Mancao who implicated Lacson in the deaths of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and driver, Emmanuel Corbito in 2000. But the case against the senator had been dismissed by the court.

Mancao was Lacson’s aide when the senator then headed the now defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force.