2 witnesses in Dacer-Corbito case

Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera assured Thursday that two more witnesses in the killing of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000 have been taken to "safe places."

Devanadera said that the two other witnesses, who have admitted to their involvement in the killing and burning of Dacer and Corbito's corpses, are now being convinced by the Department of Justice to allow themselves to be placed under the Witness Protection Program (WPP) again.

The DOJ made the move after the killing on Wednesday of Jimmy Lopez, a self-proclaimed civilian agent of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF), who admitted receiving Dacer and Corbito in his home in Cavite province from police agents.

Lopez claimed that after keeping Dacer and Corbito in his home in November 2000, the PAOCTF agents brought the two to a nearby creek and strangled them.

He said that he and his brother William and two other men burned Dacer and Corbito's corpses. The publicist and his driver's burned bodies were found in Indang town the same month and year.

Devanadera said the two other witnesses, who she did not name, "also know the same things."

She said Lopez and the other witnesses have been out of the WPP after testifying in court. She said Lopez was the first to get out of the WPP, declaring that he did not see any need for it anymore.

"He practically waived it. He did not find the need for it," Devanadera said, adding that Lopez was only being financially-supported by the government, at the time he was killed.

Lopez was with a woman when unidentified gunmen barged into his home at Phase 1, Reginaville 2000 in Trece Martirez City around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.

He was supposed to appear before the DOJ on Thursday morning with three other witnesses to affirm the case filed by Dacer's daughters supposedly against Sen. Panfilo Lacson, former commander of PAOCTF.

No suspects yet

Devanadera, meanwhile, clarified that the police and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have yet to determine the real motive for Lopez's killing.

She declined to answer when asked if the people who killed the "vital witness" are the same people involved in the Dacer-Corbito murders.

"Right now, we don't have any suspects. Let's see what turns out [in the investigations]. The murder is being treated as one with the victim of violence. I don't want to put any color to it," the DOJ secretary said.

Cavite police investigators said Lopez died of 18 bullet wounds in the body while the woman sustained 17 bullet wounds.

Superintendent Alfred Corpus, Cavite provincial police director, said they are looking at at least three angles to the killing.

Corpus said aside from being a witness in the Dacer-Corbito murder, Lopez is also included in the police's "hotlist" of drug personalities in the province. He said the woman with him was his lover, which indicates a possible love angle.

Richard Gutierrez on criminal case: I'm upset

MANILA – Richard Gutierrez is “saddened” and “upset” by the criminal complaint filed against him in connection with the car accident in Cavite that killed his personal assistant, Nomar Pardo, two months ago. Last week, Richard was charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide by Pardo’s widow, Lorayne, before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Imus. In a statement read by his older sister, Ruffa, on “The Buzz” Sunday, Richard branded this move as an “unfair act.” He maintained that what happened on May 22 in Silang was an accident. He also stressed that he was not negligent and did not commit any crime. The young actor was driving the car when the accident occurred. Like Richard, his bodyguard, Jorge Mascora, was also wounded in the mishap.

Richard pointed out that it was an incident that could happen to anyone, citing the reported six vehicular accidents that occurred in the same area.

“Nomar was more than an assistant to me, he was a good friend. What happened in the morning of May 22 was an accident; one which took my friend's life and where I also could have died,” Richard said.

“I wonder, if anyone else had been driving, would Lorayne have sued?” he added. Also in his statement, Richard recalled that, even before the filing of the criminal complaint, he made public his desire to help Pardo’s children by supporting their education, an offer purportedly rejected by Lorayne’s camp. He explained that he made the offer “because I cared for a friend that I had lost and I knew that is what my friend would have wanted.” “Let me repeat this, it was an accident and my family and I will not be pressured or coerced by the filing of this case. We will trust that the justice system will vindicate me in the end,” he added. He said he will present pieces of evidence “at the proper time.”

Richard, according to Ruffa, took a break from work to do some “soul searching for a few days.” ‘Be strong’ Ruffa also came to her younger brother’s defense Sunday. The television host said nobody wanted it to happen. She pointed out that her brother almost lost his life, too, because of the accident.

“Richard was very careful. Hindi siya nag-speeding, hindi siya nakainom. Kung nasasaktan sila, nasasaktan din kami because we lost a family member,” Ruffa said.

She maintained that, like the Pardo family, the Gutierrezes also mourned the demise of Richard’s personal assistant. Ruffa also clarified that her family has never abandoned the Pardos. “Nagkaroon ng pag-uusap ang mommy ko at ang pamilya Pardo. At ang sinabi ng mommy, ‘ito ang gusto naming maitulong sa mga bata. Gusto namin bigyan kayo ng education fund para sa dalawang anak ni Nomar para makatapos sila ng college.’ Kasama na doon ang financial assistance na hindi nila tinanggap,” she said. Ruffa said she hopes her family and the Pardos will settle the issue privately “so that Nomar’s soul can also rest in peace.” She added that her family will always be behind Richard.