The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said Saturday that it will strengthen its security force as former police Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao II and former police Superintendent Glenn Dumlao will both attend an August 26 hearing for the 2000 Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito double murder case.

Deputy Director for Intelligence Services lawyer Ruel Lasala said the bureau would strengthen its security force to secure both Mancao and Dumlao when they attend hearing at the sala of Judge Myra V. Garcia-Fernandez, of the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 18 on Aug. 26.

“We make sure that there will be enough NBI operatives to secure them,” said Lasala.

On Thursday afternoon, Mancao failed to show up after he was reportedly afflicted with amoebiasis,
prompting the court to postpone anew his trial. Dumlao attended last Thursday.

The counsels of Dumlao filed a seven-page motion for reconsideration (MR) to set aside the amended charges filed in 2005.

Dumlao’s counsels also appealed to court to exclude Dumlao as an accused and to recall the warrant of arrest issued by the court. Dumlao is set to be arraigned also on August 26.

While Mancao had already been transferred to a safe house of the Department of Justice – Witness
Protection Program (DOJ-WPP) last July 25, a day before Dumlao’s arrival from the United States (US), Regional Director lawyer Ric Diaz, chief of Anti-Terrorism Division (ATD) earlier said Mancao is still being secured by the NBI.

Mancao remains restricted in his safe house as he still an accused.

Mancao and Dumlao, who were both extradited recently from the United States (US), were among the accused in the double murder case and have yet to see each other. They are expected to see each other for the first time upon their arrival in the country on Aug. 26.

Fernandez is expected to rule soon the motion filed last Aug. 7 by defense lawyers of the co-accused of Mancao and Dumlao, seeking her to inhibit herself from trying the case.

As part of the court procedure, the judge will most likely set a hearing on the motion for inhibition in the next days or weeks.

In filing a motion for inhibition, lawyers of accused Thomas Sarmiento, Margarito Cueno, Crisostomo Purificacion, Rommel Rollan and Ruperto Nemenio said “displayed manifest partiality, bias and hostility” in handling the case.