Mancao, Dumlao expected to meet in court

MANILA, Philippines - Former police senior superintendent Cezar Mancao II and former police superintendent Glenn Dumlao are expected to meet today at the Manila regional trial court (RTC) for the resumption of the trial of the November 2000 twin murders of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito.

“They are former colleagues and, of course, they may talk casually or greet each other when they see each other inside the courtroom. Now if they decide to discuss the case, I don’t think we can stop them,” said National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) spokesman Allan Contado.

He said the NBI’s task is strictly to provide security for the two former members of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force, and only the court and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have the discretion to have the two men sit apart or beside each other when Manila RTC Branch 18 Judge Myra Garcia Fernandez presides over today’s hearing. 

Contado said Mancao is in the DOJ witness protection program and the court has yet to rule whether he will be removed from the list of suspects.

Dumlao, who failed to attend a hearing last Aug. 13 reportedly due to amoebiasis, has a pending application to join the witness protection program, is set to be arraigned today, Contado said.       – Sandy Araneta