NBI AGENTS IN US TO FETCH MANCAO
THE return of former police Senior Supt. Cesar Mancao II to the Philippines is “almost 100-percent sure,” according to Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez.
While Gonzalez made the assurance of Mancao’s extradition, he declined to give a deadline on the latter’s return to the country.
In an interview, Gonzalez confirmed he sent a team from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) purportedly to fetch and facilitate the extradition of Mancao who earlier offered to testify on killing of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000.
Gonzalez said lawyers Ricardo Diaz and Claro de Castro, Jr., respective heads of NBI’s Anti-Terrorism and Interpol divisions, left Manila on board a Philippine Airlines flight to Los Angeles, California Friday night and arrived there on Saturday night (Philippine time).
“I sent them (NBI officials) to the US already. I received information that there is an instruction for the US Marshall to bring Mancao to Los Angeles. That means there is really no more legal impediment for his return,” the DOJ chief disclosed.
According to him, the two NBI officials have started coordinating with the US Marshall for security arrangement of Mancao’s return to the country, and also with the country’s consulate in the US for his travel documents.
Gonzalez admitted that no exact date yet has been given for the return flight of the NBI team. Mancao, his wife and lawyer, who are now in California, are waiting for his formal turnover to Philippine authorities.
While he is already “almost 100-percent sure” of Mancao’s return, Gonzalez declined to give a definite date, citing previous experience when the NBI team he had earlier sent failed to pick up Mancao after he was summoned by a Newark court in New Jersey hearing the extradition case of former Senior Supt. Michael Ray Aquino, another main suspect in the double murder case, as possible witness.
Nonetheless, Gonzalez stressed that Mancao has been cleared by the US court and was just required to submit a deposition on the case of Aquino. Mancao’s lawyer, Arnedo Valera, earlier confirmed to Gonzalez that they had already complied with such a requirement.
Gonzalez said that while there is no official notice yet from the US State Department for the return of Mancao, he expects the extradition not to take any longer.
Gonzalez said Mancao would arrive in the country with his wife and his lawyer. He said he suggested to Mancao to as much as possible limit the number of family members who would return with him “for security purposes.”
The extradition of Mancao was delayed by a legal action of Aquino, who asked Newark court to include the former Senior Supt. Glenn Dumlao, the third suspect in the murder case, in the list of witnesses for his pending extradition case.
The New Jersey court had earlier granted Aquino’s “Emergent Petition for Writs of Habeas Corpus Ad Testificandum” asking US authorities to produce Mancao and Dumlao within 60 days through an order signed by Judge Esther Salas.
The Justice secretary has already met with the special panel of prosecutors that would reinvestigate on the double murder case. He said the special task force of the department handling cases of media killings would also join in the investigation.
Meanwhile, Dumlao is also expected to be back in the country soon after a United States court dismissed the petition for habeas corpus filed by his wife Merlyn Cejo.
“If the habeas corpus has been dismissed, it will pave the way for his extradition. He is also supposed to give deposition on the Aquino extradition case and I don’t see any serious problem with that,” the DOJ chief said.
Gonzalez said there is still no definite time when Dumlao will be allowed to return home because of the pending petitions in US courts involving him.
“It would be better if both of them would return – even if not at the same time,” he said.