Accused in Dacer-Corbito slays ask for witness’ phone logs

MANILA, Philippines—The defense lawyers of Michael Ray Aquino, an accused in the Dacer-Corbito murders, is asking the courts to produce what were purported to be the incriminating text messages Aquino supposedly sent to an accused who had turned state witness.

In an interview after Aquino’s pretrial conference at the Manila Regional Trial Courts Branch 18 on Wednesday morning, one of Aquino’s counsels, Simonette Sibal-Pulido said they had requested the court to produce or subpoena the phone details of witness Glen Dumlao on the day of the murders since he alleged that Aquino had sent him orders ordering the operations against Dacer.

At the time of the murders, Dumlao and Aquino were both members of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF), believed to have carried out the kidnapping and killings of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito on Nov. 24, 2000.

The incriminating phone logs were said to have been submitted to the Department of Justice. “We have reason to believe it is in possession of the prosecution,” Sibal-Pulido said.

Sibal-Pulido said the prosecution lawyers would present Dumlao and another PAOCTF member, Cezar Mancao II, to testify against Aquino. Mancao is set to testify in court when the trial proper against Aquino begins on November 16.

Defense lawyers will cross-examine the two. Earlier, Aquino’s counsel had told reporters they might also present Dumlao and Mancao as “hostile witnesses” but Sibal-Pulido said they no longer manifested this during the pretrial conference. “But we have general reservation to call on witnesses as necessary,” she said.

Meanwhile, defense lawyers are still studying whether or not to file a motion for reconsideration on the recent decision of Branch 18 Judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina to deny their request for reinvestigation. Sibal-Pulido said they have been prioritizing the expedition of the case against their client.

After 10 years in hiding in the United States, Aquino was extradited back into the Philippines in June. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. His lawyers had also filed a motion for reinvestigation to review the finding of probable cause against him.

Bunyi-Medina denied the motion on August 24, saying that “A reinvestigation of this case would cause further delay in the early resolution of this case, which is definitely unfair to the other accused who are languishing in jail while this case is still pending.”