The camp of Police Senior Superintednent Cesar Mancao II said yesterday that he should be immediately released even though he just surrendered last Monday over his alleged involvement in the 2000 abduction and murder of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito.
“Mr. Cezar Mancao must be immediately set free,” stressed his counsel, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, in a statement.
Citing Republic Act (RA) 6981, also known as the Witness Protection Act, Topacio explained that Mancao has been admitted to the Witness Protection Program (WPP) of the Department of Justice (DoJ) and has already testified against Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s involvement in the Dacer-Corbito double murder case.
“Therefore, under Sec. 12 of the said law, the Court must order his discharge as an accused because admission to the WPP entitles Mr. Manacao to immunity from criminal prosecution,” Topacio pointed out.
“We call on Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre to honor the commitment made by the Philippine government in favor of Mr. Mancao, as the same is not only an entitlement of Mr. Mancao under the law, but the credibility of the WPP is also at stake,” the lawyer said.
The counsel recalled that back in June 2012 he had been asking then Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to implement the provision of the Witness Protection Act but lamented “she refused to do so.”
“This has resulted in an anomalous and unfair situation for Mr. Mancao wherein he is the only accused left in the Dacer-Corbito case, although he is the star witness for the Prosecution,” said Topacio.
Topacio lamented that Philippine National Police-Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) head Sr. Supt. Glenn Dumlao has been reinstated without loss of seniority even though he violated his terms under the WPP by testifying against the people.
“Other accused have gone on with lucrative careers either in government or the private sector,” he noted.
NO SPECIAL TREATMENT
The PNP, meanwhile, assured yesterday that there will be no special treatment that will be given to Mancao.
Senior Supt. Belli Tamayo, director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-National Capital Region, said Mancao will be treated as an ordinary detainee despite his being a classmate of the PNP Chief, Ronald dela Rosa, at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).
“I had him closely guarded. He is under my custody, whatever happens, I would be answerable to the court,” said Tamayo.
But when asked where Mancao is detained, Tamayo said somewhere inside their office was converted as temporary detention facility.
“I cannot just put him in the detention cell because other detainees are there. As custodian of the accused, it is also our responsibility to keep our detainees safe,” said Tamayo.
But Tamayo was quick to emphasize that there is no reason for him to accord Mancao with special treatment, noting that they came from different places. (Jeffrey Damicog and Aaron Recuenco)