‘28 PAOCTF men in Dacer kidnap’

At least 28 agents of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) were allegedly involved in the abduction and likely murder of public relations man Salvador "Bubby" Da-cer and his driver last November.

A ranking police official disclosed this yesterday as he said that two PAOCTF members involved in the Dacer case are now under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and have expressed willingness to serve as state witnesses.

The PAOCTF agents, the official said, worked in four seven-member teams. He said each team was given a separate task, from surveillance, abduction, killing and disposal of the victims’ remains.

"The overall operation was professionally done. The teams didn’t know what the other teams did," the official said.

The first team allegedly monitored Dacer’s movements at his home in Sun Valley Subdivision, Parañaque City days before his abduction. The second allegedly abducted him and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito, at the boundary of Manila and Makati on Nov. 24, and the third team allegedly did the killing.

"The last team dumped the bodies and cleaned all possible signs of the operation," the official said.

Dacer was reportedly on his way to a meeting with former President Fidel Ramos at the Manila Hotel on Nov. 24 when he disappeared. Days later, his white Toyota Revo vehicle was found dumped in a ravine in Cavite.

The NBI has questioned seven PAOCTF men who raided a house near Dacer’s residence on Nov. 21. The NBI said the raided house could have been used by the task force in its surveillance of Dacer.

PAOCTF chief Director Hermogenes Ebdane said the seven men linked to the raid are still with the task force pending the issuance of court summons. However, he assured the public that his agency will present the seven to the court once it is asked to do so.

"Once court summons or warrants are served, they will be immediately presented," he said, referring to Inspector Wilson Pedido, Inspector Dionisio Bonoy, SPO2 Willy Nuas, SPO2 Gomercito Cagnayo, SPO1 Adelaido Celarco, PO3 Roco Matio and PO3 Edmund Gacuti.

Ebdane refused to comment on insinuations that former President Joseph Estrada, former Philippine National Police chief Panfilo Lacson and businessman Dante Tan could be involved in Dacer’s alleged killing.

The insinuations were made by PNP chief Deputy Director General Leandro Mendoza, who said that the three were the most likely to benefit if Dacer vanishes.

"I don’t question the statement. Maybe he has some holdings," he said.

NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco, meanwhile, said their investigation on the Dacer case has reached a "very interesting stage." He noted that new witnesses havenot surfaced because of fear that the mastermind in the killing would go after them.

"Obviously the factor of fear is there," he said.