Lacson names co-depositor in alleged Mancao bank account

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Panfilo Lacson has identified the woman and co-depositor in a P150 million alleged bank account of  his former aide, Cezar Mancao.

Lacson said the account, which received a P150 million deposit last year, was under the names of Mancao and a certain “Teresa Abat.”

“Totoong mayroong account na ganung numero. Totoong ang account na yun sa pangalan ni  Cezar Mancao at saka ni Teresa Abat, joint account yun e [It is true that there was an account in those numbers. It is true that the said account was under the names of Cezar Mancao and Teresa Abat, it was a joint account],” he said over radio, citing the initial information he got from the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

“Totoo rin na may pumasok na P150 million at totoo rin na may mga withdrawals [It is also true that P150 million was deposited and that withdrawals were made],” he said.

Mancao, who implicated Lacson in the killings of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and driver , Emmanuel Corbito, admitted ownership of the account but quickly denied insinuation that the deposit was supposed to be the payment for him to pin down the senator.

When the AMLC mentioned about the withdrawals, Lacson said he immediately asked the Council why it did not freeze the account.

The senator though acknowledged that there must be a court order first to freeze an account and establish that it would be used in unlawful activities.

And this is now the subject of investigation, Lacson said, being conducted by the AMLC.