MANILA, Philippines--The lawyer of former police senior superintendent Glenn Dumlao denied on Tuesday claims of orchestrated moves to delay the extradition of his client and that of his co-accused in the Dacer-Corbito double murder case, former Senior Supt. Cezar Mancao.

“Orchestrated moves? Look, nobody, but my clients (Dumlao and his wife) asked me to prepare and file the habeas corpus petition and to move for the stay of Dumlao's extradition,” said lawyer Felix Vinluan in an email message.

“The insinuation that somebody from the Philippines (perhaps referring to Senator Lacson) asked me to file the petition and even sent media men to give me the money allegedly to bail out my client is simply baseless,” he added.

Another fellow accused, Senior Supt. Michael Ray Aquino, asked a New Jersey court to have Dumlao and Mancao testify in his own case and caused the delay in the extradition of the police officers.

Dumlao, on the other hand, filed a habeas corpus petition that questioned his own extradition and asked for US authorities to release him.

“As I already mentioned to you, the $100,000 bail bond issue is just a product of someone's dirty mind, to impute upon the Senator an intent to delay Dumlao's extradition,” Vinluan said.

“Dumlao has valid legal grounds to ask for his stay of extradition and to request for his eventual release,” he added.

Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said that a US court had nothing to say on Mancao’s return to the Philippines.

Mancao was supposed to return this March but was delayed due to a decision of the New Jersey Court granting the petition of Aquino, asking US authorities to summon him and fellow police officer Cesar Dumlao to appear before a court within 60 days.

“I was suggesting that Mancao, in order to forestall the effect of a possible delay of that habeas corpus filed by Michael Ray Aquino to just indicate to the court already that he has nothing to say in favor of Aquino,” Gonzalez said noting that he was in communication with Arnedo Valera, Mancao’s lawyer.

“He said Mancao is asking the Philippine government to give him assistance so his return to the Philippines would be hastened. He wants to return as soon as possible,” Gonzalez said.

Mancao was supposed to testify on the murder complaint filed against Senator Panfilo Lacson for the death of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and driver Emmanuel Corbito.