'Michael Ray can still appeal extradition'

MANILA, Philippines - Former police senior superintendent Michael Ray Aquino could still appeal his case before the US court that approved his extradition to the Philippines to face trial over the Dacer-Corbito double-murder case.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Interpol chief Claro de Castro said Aquino could still avail of the legal remedy offered to him by the US court to appeal the decision allowing the Philippine government’s application to extradite him.

De Castro pointed out the decision is not yet final and executory, and allows Aquino to file his appeal within a certain period of time.

In the meantime, the NBI would await a decision from the US court before any legal steps are taken.

“When (the decision is) final, that’s the time we can act,” he said.

De Castro added the NBI would also await instructions from the Department of Justice (DOJ) that will coordinate with its counterpart agency in the US over the turnover of custody of Aquino.

Aquino is among the principal accused in the murders of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000.

The US District Court in Newark, New Jersey approved last Thursday the Philippine government’s application for Aquino’s extradition.

Aquino, currently serving sentence in the US for espionage, is seeking to stop his extradition to the Philippines.

He served as the chief operations officer of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) headed by then national police chief now Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

Former police senior superintendents Cezar Mancao and Glenn Dumlao tagged Aquino as among the six people in the PAOCTF that carried out Operation Delta, the supposed covert operation to silence Dacer.

Mancao and Dumlao had been extradited and agreed to turn state witness on the case.

Lacson, however, denied the allegations but went into hiding just before the warrant of arrest was issued on him.