Bubby Dacer

Salvador "Bubby" Dacer was a publicist in the Philippines. His clients included many of the top figures in Philippine politics, notably Presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada. He was murdered on November 24 2000 by members of the police force.

Bubby Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito, were abducted in Makati, the business district of Manilla. They were later killed, and their vehicle dumped. In 2001, a number of arrests were made. One of the accused, police colonel Glenn Dumlao, named Cesar Mancao and Michael Ray Aquino as the organisers of the murders. Mancao and Aquino both fled the country. Dumlao later disappeared.

The ultimate reasons for Dacer's murder remain a subject of debate. Fidel Ramos has publicly accused his successor, Joseph Estrada, of giving the original order — Estrada was mired in a corruption scandal at the time, and according to some reports, Estrada believed Dacer was helping Ramos destabilize his rule. Panfilo Lacson, a top police officer, is also accused by some — Dacer had worked for Roberto Lastimoso, an enemy of Lacson, and according to Dacer's daughter Amparo, Dacer had evidence of crimes committed by Lacson.

Trial

After 8 years of self-exile in the United States, Sabina and Carina Dacer, on July 11, 2008 testified before the Manila Regional Trial Court, regarding the mastermind of their father's abduction. Sabina swore that: "In his exact words he said, 'mga anak, kung may mangyari sa akin, walang ibang may kakagawan noon kundi si Ping Lacson." Dacer's family also discovered the publicist's letter to Joseph Estrada on Panfilo Lacson's 1999 actuations to secure the Philippine National Police chief post. Dacer was the publicist of then PNP chief Roberto Lastimoso, Lacson's rival. Lacson's link to one of the suspects, Michael Ray Aquino, were also evident according to the Dacer witnesses.

Lacson denied the allegations: "For the Nth time, I will assert the truth that I had nothing to do with it.They can lie and make people lie even under oath and before a court of law to make me look bad and guilty in the Dacer case. In fact, right after Dacer disappeared, the family sought my help... And I responded the way I should as a law enforcement officer at that time." [ [http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=124924 abs-cbnnews.com, Dacer daughters links Lacson to dad's abduction, death] ]

External links

* [http://asiaweek.com/asiaweek/magazine/2000/1215/nat.philippines.html Gone Missing - AsiaWeek]
* [http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=45525 Dacer daughter to govt: Unmask Aquino bosses - ABS-CBN]
* [http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/man/2003/07/12/news/doj.dacer.corbito.case.still.strong.html DOJ: Dacer-Corbito case still strong - Manila Sun-Star]

References