Up to Michael Ray Aquino to put closure to Dacer slay–Sen. Lacson

Whether or not Michael Ray Aquino can bring closure to the 2000 murders of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito, is up to the man himself, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Tuesday.

“At the end of the day, it’s his decision [as to] what kind of defense to put up. If he knows something and decides to tell it, that’s his call. But if he decides to defend his case, depending on what he knows, that’s [also] his call,” Lacson said in an interview over dwIZ radio.

The US Department of State has approved Aquino’s extradition to the Philippines to face investigation as a prime suspect in the twin murders, in which Lacson had also been implicated but was later cleared by the Court of Appeals.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal of the appellate court’s ruling clearing Lacson in the Dacer-Corbito case.

“Thank God. Now I can focus on my work. I can perform my duties as a senator without the proverbial sword of Damocles hanging over my head,” Lacson told reporters.

14 months in hiding

Lacson went into hiding for 14 months after an arrest warrant was issued against him. He surfaced last March after the Court of Appeals dismissed the warrant, saying there was not enough evidence to charge him.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Aquino’s return would bring the case one step closer to resolution. She said the Department of Justice could start a reinvestigation once Aquino was back in the country.

De Lima said she hoped Aquino would testify on the possible involvement of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (Paoctf) in the killings. Lacson was head of Paoctf at the time. Aquino and another former police superintendent, Cezar Mancao II, were his subordinates.

Both Aquino and Mancao fled to the United States after the Dacer-Corbito killings. Mancao has since returned and implicated Lacson as a mastermind in the murders. He also implicated former President Joseph Estrada, who has denied any involvement.

‘Fair trial’

Lacson, who admitted being in touch with Aquino’s family in the US, said Philippine authorities should accord Aquino a fair trial and detain him in a safe facility.

“He should be given a fair trial, fair treatment, after all he served as a law enforcer for years. They should take into consideration where to detain him since he has arrested and jailed many criminals. They should not mix him in with criminals he had put in jail, where his personal security would be imperiled,” he said.

Extending financial help

The senator said he was communicating by text with Aquino’s wife, Fatima, and extending financial assistance to the family.

“If they want to contact somebody, I facilitate that. If there’s an opportunity to extend financial help to the mother and child, I also do that,” he said, adding: “If he wants to talk with me, that’s not a problem. He has worked for me before.”