MANILA, Philippines - Former Caloocan City representative Luis Asistio defended former President Joseph Estrada against allegations that he had reason to murder publicist Salvador Dacer.
Asistio signed a three-page affidavit last month attesting that Estrada and Dacer had been good friends.
In the effort to show that Estrada had no motive to murder his friend, his camp made public the copy of Asistio’s affidavit.
Asistio vouched for Estrada’s character and detailed some of the incidents before Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito were murdered in November 2000.
Asistio said he personally knew Estrada and Dacer since 1960.
Asistio said his nephew Bobby Henson is married to Ampy Dacer, daughter of the murdered PR man.
Asistio said Dacer and Estrada were “kumpadres” or co-sponsors in a wedding, and their friendship deepened during the years.
He said Estrada even included Dacer in the presidential entourage during a visit in Vietnam. Asistio recalled he had dinner with Dacer and several friends before he went missing.
“I vividly recall that I had dinner with Mariles Cacho Romulo, Bubby Dacer, Ampy Dacer Henson and her husband Bobby Henson, at the Urdaneta Apartment, Ayala Avenue, Makati,” Asistio said.
Asistio said he left the dinner to meet Estrada at Malacañang.
Dacer then asked him if he could join to meet the President. Asistio said he had to clear it first.
According to Asistio, he called up Estrada and told him he was on his way to Malacañang. At the same time, he requested Estrada if he could bring along a friend.
When Estrada asked Asistio who the friend was, the former Caloocan congressman answered “kumpadre, Dacer.”
Estrada then immediately replied, “Of course, I’ve not seen him for a long time and he is also my kumpadre.”
At 10 p.m., Asistio said he and Dacer proceeded to Malacañang to meet Estrada.
When they arrived at Malacañang, they were met and greeted by Estrada himself.
Asistio described the meeting as “very cordial and intimate.”
He said Dacer and Estrada were even sharing jokes and hugging each other, and it seemed that they had not seen each other “in ages.”
At around 10:30 to 11 p.m., Asistio said they decided to go home.
When they were outside, Dacer told Asistio that he forgot to ask Estrada a favor.
Asked what the favor could be, Dacer said he would ask Estrada if he would allow then Parañaque City mayor Joey Marquez to leave the country even after a hold departure order was issued.
Estrada then acceded to Dacer’s request, according to Asistio.
“Of course, Joey has no problem with me. I will instruct that he be allowed to leave the country,” Asistio quoted the former president. After that, Asistio said they parted ways, having the impression that Dacer was happy and contented. Asistio said Dacer intimated to him that Estrada was his childhood friend and he thought that Estrada might have changed.
But to his surprise, Dacer told Asistio, he was the same “Erap Estrada who is always a very good person.”