MANILA, Philippines?Formally denying involvement in the 2000 murders of publicist Salvador ?Bubby? Dacer and his driver, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said he was in the United States with President Joseph Estrada at the time when he supposedly ordered Dacer?s killing.

For the first time since the Department of Justice (DoJ) reopened its probe of the twin killings of Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito, Lacson on Monday presented himself before a panel of DoJ prosecutors in a bid to rebut the testimony of his accuser, former Senior Supt. Cezar Mancao II.

Lacson went to the DoJ to affirm the authenticity of his affidavit rejecting Mancao?s allegations.

In his counteraffidavit, Lacson also said he was with the then Trade Secretary, now Sen. Manuel Roxas II, as part of the Estrada delegation to a United Nations summit held in September 2000.

The panel did not pose any questions to Lacson during the hearing. Mancao was not present.

In his affidavit dated Feb. 13, 2009, Mancao said he was in a car with Lacson and with then Philippine National Police Senior Supt. Michael Ray Aquino when he overheard Lacson supposedly order Aquino to simultaneously kill Dacer and former PNP intelligence chief Reynaldo Berroya, a Lacson nemesis.

The Dacer-Corbito murders occurred while Lacson was head of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF). Mancao and Aquino were among his officers then.

Aquino is currently held in a jail in the United States after being convicted of possession of confidential US documents.

Records appear conflicting on when the supposed conversation in the car actually took place.

In his affidavit, Mancao said it took place in October 2000. But in his testimony at the Manila Regional Trial Court recently, he said the purported conversation occurred while Estrada was out of the country and that this was around ?September to early October? 2000.

A check with the Inquirer archives showed that Estrada was in the United States on Sept. 4-13, 2000 during which he attended the UN Millenium Summit. He was never in the United States in October, the archives showed.

Lacson?s defense

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

?Since I was also in the United States at that time ? 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,? he added.

Lacson said Roxas was also in Estrada?s US party. Lacson included Roxas? affidavit as an annex to the sworn statement he submitted to the panel headed by Senior State Prosecutor Peter Ong.

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

Roxas? affidavit was not immediately available and the Liberal Party senator could not be contacted for comment.

Nov. 6 hearing

The DoJ panel decided to summon Roxas to testify in the preliminary investigation in its next hearing on Nov. 6.

The panel also summoned ABS-CBN anchor Ted Failon and GMA News reporter Maki Pulido to testify on their interviews with Mancao in which Mancao spoke of supposed offers and pressures for him to testify against Lacson.

The interviews were made and aired before Mancao, who was then in the United States, was extradited to the Philippines and agreed to turn into a witness against Lacson in the double murder case.

In his counteraffidavit, Lacson said the murder complaint filed against him by Dacer?s daughters was based on hearsay and that ?a perusal thereof would readily show that they completely relied on the affidavit of Mancao.?

Lacson cited a Supreme Court ruling to the effect that any complainants or witness should have personal knowledge of the crime being alleged.

No axe to grind

Lacson also said that in a Senate hearing on the Dacer case in April 19, 2001, Dacer?s daughters?Emily Dacer and Sabina Dacer-Reyes?never mentioned anything about him (Lacson) having an axe to grind against the publicist.

?None of them ever mentioned that their father had previously told them in 1998 that should he die, I would be responsible for such death,? Lacson said.

?Clearly, their belated disclosures on this supposed conversation were a mere afterthought desperately designed to implicate me in this case,? he added.

Lacson also cast doubt on Mancao?s allegation about the car conversation by presenting Mancao?s own court testimony that it was possible that he wrongly heard that an order was given to kill Dacer.

?With a clear admission that Mancao was not at all certain of what he actually overheard then my alleged involvement now becomes rather doubtful,? Lacson said.

?A witness who is certain of his narrations will remain staunch despite the assiduous efforts of the defense to demolish his credibility notwithstanding,? he added.

?On the other hand, a witness who prevaricates will find it hard to stick to his story and will find himself eventually entangled in the web of lies he has woven. Easily Mancao falls under this category.?

Lacson told the panel that he didn?t expect to get justice ?under this administration.?

?The charges filed against me were not made in pursuit of justice ? but were made in a desperate attempt by the Arroyo administration to persecute me,? he said.