State lawyers clarify reports saying ex-cop tortured into linking Lacson to Dacer slay

By Benjamin B. Pulta

11/13/2009

Government lawyers clarified earlier reports that former police Supt. Glenn Dumlao testified he was tortured into signing an affidavit implicating his former boss, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, in the killing of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000 during a closed-door hearing.

State Prosecutor Hazel Valdez said while Dumlao had been placed under great psychologocial stress she denied a report that quoted one of Dumlao’s private counsels, Cesar Brillantes, as saying the state witness confessed that he only implicated Lacson in the double murder case out of torture and tremendous pressure.

“I was the one who presented him (Dumlao) to court and he indeed admitted there was psychological pressure and intimidation but on cases not related to the Dacer case. I didn’t even hear him say the word torture,” the fiscal told reporters at the Department of Justice.

Valdez said Dumlao admitted he was pressured in implicating Lacson only in cases involving Kuratong Baleleng, Ador Mawanay and Rosebud Ong.

The fiscal said the state witness indeed mentioned “psychological pressure and intimidation” not on execution of the affidavit against Lacson but on the affidavit he signed before leaving for the US in May 2003 where he cleared the senator.

“It was a no sign — no go order. Before helping him flee to the US in May 2003, he was asked to sign a typewritten affidavit recanting his first affidavit executed in June 2001 where he implicated Lacson in the Dacer case,” she said.

Valdez recalled when she asked Dumlao in court why he signed the affidavit knowing some of its contents weren’t factual, he replied: “I just really wanted to leave at that time, and that (signing of affidavit) was their condition to help me leave despite an HDO (hold departure order).”

She added the execution of the typewritten affidavit was atypical of Dumlao as the latter had executed his other affidavits in handwriting.

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