Not having much faith in the Philippine Justice system, the daughters of slain publicist Salvador Dacer filed a case in a United States court against former Philippine President Joseph Estrada, fugitive Senator Panfilo Lacson and five others.
According to lawyer Demetrio Custodio, counsel for the plaintiff, a total of US$120 million are being sought by Carina Dacer, Sabrina Dacer-Reyes, Amparo Dacer-Henson and Emily Dacer-Hungerford.
Others named as co-accused are:
? Former Best World Resources president and CEO Dante Tan;
? Former head and CEO of the Philippine Games and
Amusement Corp. (PAGCOR) Reynaldo Butch Tenorio;
? Former Snr. Police Supt. Michael Ray Aquino;
? Former Police Supt. Glenn Dumlao, and
? Former Chief Inspector Vicente Arnado.
The late Salvador Dacer was a well-known publicist whose clients include top figures in Philippine politics like Joseph Estrada and former President Fidel Ramos. In 2000, Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito, were abducted and killed.
The motive for the killing has not yet been clearly established but at the time of Dacer’s murder, Estrada was deeply involved in a corruption scandal. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets demanding his resignation.
Degrading Treatment and Torture
The Dacer sisters narrated the incidents which led to the inhuman treatment, torture and murder of their father, believed to have been masterminded and perpetrated by Lacson and Estrada.
“Said cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, torture and extra-judicial killing of Plaintiffs’ father were carried out by Defendants under actual or apparent authority, or color of law, of the Philippines under the administration of then-President Estrada,” the complaint stated.
The Dacers are seeking a jury trial for the case.
Estrada has no comment
Estrada’s spokesperson Margaux Salcedo, said they cannot comment on the issue as they have not received any official information.
At the time when Dacer was killed, Lacson was the head of the Philippine National Police and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force. He has been in hiding since January of this year. – ? (Source: GMA News)