MANILA, Philippines—An official of the Department of Justice Monday expressed optimism US authorities would act “with dispatch” to extradite three former Philippine National Police officers to face double murder charges in the country.

Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor, head of Task Force 211 on media killings, said he was pinning his hopes on the United States government’s stand against “media killers.”

“We expect that (since the) US is not a safe haven for media killers, challenges filed in the extradition cases will be decided with dispatch,” said Blancaflor in a news conference.

US authorities arrested Cesar Mancao and Glenn Dumlao, former top PNP officers, on the request of the Philippine government which has sought their extradition to face charges in the kidnapping and murder of prominent PR practitioner Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito, in 2000.

Mancao and Dumlao were arrested separately in Florida and New York, respectively, last week.

The US continues to hold Michael Ray Aquino, another ex-police officer wanted in the killings, in prison after he was convicted and sentenced for espionage in a separate case.

Dacer at one time counted among his prominent clients former Presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada. He was murdered during the term of the latter and suspects-turned-witnesses implicated the PNP chief at the time, now Sen. Panfilo Lacson, in the case.
Estrada and Lacson have continued to deny any involvement.

Blancaflor said the extradition process had started for Mancao in the US Federal District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A first hearing was held “to find out if he had other cases in the United States.”