MANILA, Philippines -- State prosecutors led by Senior State Prosecutor Peter Ong ordered that a subpoena be served on former Trade Secretary Manuel Roxas II and journalists Ted Failon and Maki Pulido to testify in the preliminary investigation proceedings of the double murder case of publicist man Bubby Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito.

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday presented himself before the Department of Justice panel of prosecutors and formally answered the allegations against him in connection with the Dacer-Corbito double murder case.

Lacson said he was abroad with then President Joseph Estrada and then Trade Secretary Roxas when, according to witness Cezar Mancao, the then PNP chief supposedly ordered the simultaneous hit on publicist Salvador Dacer and then PNP general Reynaldo Berroya.

Failon and Pulido had interviewed Mancao before the latter submitted himself for voluntary extradition.

In the interviews, Mancao said there were pressures from alleged agents of the administration for him to testify against Lacson.

In his affidavit dated Feb. 13, 2009, Mancao said he was in a car with Lacson and then PNP Sr. Supt. Michael Ray Aquino when he personally heard Lacson order Aquino to simultaneously kill Dacer and Berroya.

Mancao has testified before the Manila regional trial court that the conversation between Lacson and then PNP Sr. Supt. Michael Ray Aquino happened when Estrada was out of the country around September to early October in 2001.

?It must be emphasized, however, that during such time, I was also out of the country with President Estrada,? Lacson said.

?Since I was also in the United States (for the Millennium Summit) at that time when President Estrada was abroad, I could not have been possibly present in the car with Mancao ?. (I) could not have given (Aquino) the alleged ?order? to neutralize Dacer and Corbito

Lacson said his now colleague Roxas was also in Estrada?s party during the trip to the US. Lacson included Roxas? affidavit as an annex in his counter-affidavit.

?In fact, during the official trip to the United States with former President Joseph Estrada, I was in the company of Senator Manuel Roxas,? Lacson said.