NBI chief back from the hunt

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has confirmed that former police Chief Superintendent Michael Ray Aquino and Senior Superintendent Cesar Mancao II are in San Francisco, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Reynaldo Wycoco revealed yesterday.

Although there have been no arrest orders against Aquino and Mancao, the government wants them deported after they were linked to the slaying of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000.

Mancao and Aquino are also primary suspects in the alleged rub-out of 11 members of the Kuratong Baleleng Gang on May 18, 1995. The gang was believed to be behind a series of bank robberies in Metro Manila.

Wycoco arrived last Monday from a two-week official mission in the US, where he coordinated with law enforcement counterparts on the status of Mancao and Aquino.

Wycoco was also there to determine the whereabouts of Superintendent Glenn Dumlao, who went missing while supposedly under police custody following his surrender to the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).

A source told The STAR that Wycoco was follwing up a lead that the missing Dumlao was actually at the San Francisco Bay Area. Dumlao has reportedly joined Aquino and Mancao, allegedly under the protection of a network of former officers of the defunct Presidential Anti-Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) now living in Bay Area.

Wycoco said leaders of a Filipino community in California were alarmed after learning about the presence of Aquino and Mancao in their area.

"Filipino leaders were concerned about that the three black angels – Aquino, Mancao and Dumlao – could be in San Francisco and moving about in their midst," Wycoco said.

The NBI chief presented to the media yesterday file photographs of Aquino and Mancao.

Wycoco, who recently became the subject of derogatory reports involving jueteng operations, got back at his detractors, whom he said always make up stories whenever he is out of the country.

Reports have it that Wycoco was receiving P8 million a month from jueteng operations.

"Just like in the movie Exorcist, the Evil One did everything to prevent the exorcist from performing his job. That is also what the Filipino Evil One is doing to me," said Wycoco.

Without naming names, the NBI chief said his detractors knew that he went to California to trace Dumlao, Mancao and Aquino.

Wycoco also said he is planning to file libel charges against a newpaper which carried the reports about his alleged take from illegal gambling. "Whatever amount I seek, I will donate to charity," he said.

Meanwhile, the alleged accountant of jailed former President Joseph Estrada has undergone facial surgery in the US to evade arrest and deportation to the Philippines to face plunder charges along with the ousted leader.

Wycoco said yesterday the FBI is having difficulty tracking down Yolanda Ricaforte, who had changed her identity after surgery.

"So, we provided them (FBI) with pictures of Ricaforte which they can alter with their computers," said Wycoco.

Ricaforte faces charges of plunder for handling Estrada’s alleged take in jueteng as claimed by former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) had asked the US government to extradite Ricaforte to stand trial here.

Providing the FBI with pictures and information on Ricaforte, Wycoco said, that hopefully it will lead to her arrest, deportation and eventual prosecution.