MANILA, Philippines ? (UPDATE 2) Senator Panfilo Lacson is facing double murder charges before a local court in a case filed by the Department of Justice Thursday.

Lacson has been linked to the 2000 murders of publicist Salvador ?Bubby? Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito.

The case has been raffled off to Manila regional trial court Branch 32 Judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina, said Peter Ong, the panel prosecution chairman.

"His [Lacson?s] defense hinges on persecution which we did not give weight [to]," Ong said.

Ong said they also asked the Manila RTC to consolidate the case with Branch 18 where several police officers were also being tried for the murders of Dacer and Corbito, including former Senior Superintendent Cesar Mancao, a key witness who implicated Lacson, the former chief of the Philippine National Police, to the crime.

"He is consistent in his affidavit and his testimony before the court. The defense questioned his testimony but he remains consistent," Ong said.

The panel of DoJ prosecutors on October 2009 concluded its preliminary investigation of the murder case without waiting for the senator to submit his counter-affidavit.

Ong ruled that the case was deemed submitted for resolution, shooting down the appeal of two lawyers for Lacson who asked for another extension to submit their counter-affidavit.

Lacson himself did not show up at all during the preliminary investigation which started several months ago.

At the last hearing on September 28, the DoJ panel subpoenaed the senator to appear before them.

The panel also gave the senator 10 days, or until October 8, to respond to the murder charges filed by the family of Dacer.