MANILA, Philippines?Former police superintendent Cezar Mancao's testimony in the twin murders of Salvador ?Bubby? Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito is not an attempt by the administration to harass potential candidates from the opposition, Malacañang said Friday.

Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that Mancao had voluntarily given his statement implicating ousted President Joseph Estrada and Sen. Panfilo Lacson to the twin murders ?without any pressure.?

?I don't really see the connection between the statement of Mancao and (politicians) affected by the statement,? he said, referring to Estrada and Lacson. ?I don't see any connection between that statement and the administration.?

Bello said it was clear Mancao made the move ?because he wants the truth to come out.?

Lacson had been claiming that Mancao's homecoming to testify at the revival of investigation of the murders was orchestrated by Malacañang. He and Estrada have dropped broad hints they would run for president in the May 2010 elections.

Bello, who served as justice secretary during the Aquino and Ramos administrations, said he agreed with Sen. Rodolfo Biazon's reminder to authorities not to rush the filing of charges against personalities named in Mancao's affidavit.

?The charges against all the people mentioned in Mancao's affidavit are very serious, so we really need to go slowly and carefully on this,? he said in a briefing.

He said that Mancao's affidavit must be investigated by an independent body.

Bello said that unless Mancao affirms it before the courts, his sworn statement has no probative value.

?Until that happens, anything about that sworn statement will be speculative,? he said.

He said that whether the affidavit could stand on its own would depend on what Mancao tells the courts.

?I don?t know if Secretary (Raul) Gonzales has stated that,? he said when asked to comment on Gonzalez's statement that Mancao's affidavit was sufficient to establish probable cause against the respondents.

?But I'm sure if Secretary Gonzalez made that statement, he must have some basis.?