A former policeman who was implicated in the double murder of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito, has been arrested after 22 years in hiding in Pulilan, Bulacan, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) announced.
Former Senior Police Officer 1 William Reed III was nabbed in Brgy. Poblacion around 1:10 p.m. last Jan. 22 after he was served with a warrant of arrest by joint elements of the Cebu police, Bulacan police, and NCRPO.
The warrant of arrest was issued on May 25, 2001 by Hon. Rodolfo Ponferrada of the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 41 for two counts of murder with no bail recommended.
“After 22 years of hiding before the law, the accused is now apprehended and the victims and their families will be catered with justice,” NCRPO regional director Police Major General Jonnel C. Estomo said in a statement on Wednesday, Jan. 25.
Reed was included in the list of Most Wanted Persons (National Level) by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Authorities offered a P250,000 bounty for his arrest.
He is temporarily detained at the NCRPO Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City prior to the return of his warrant of arrest to the court of origin.
Dacer and Corbito were abducted on Nov. 24, 2000 in Makati City and later killed by their abductors. Their charred bodies were discovered in Cavite.
Among those tagged in the case were former senator and then head of Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) Panfilo “Ping” Lacson but he was later cleared by the Court of Appeals; PAOCTF chief of operations Michael Ray Aquino, and Lacson’s aides and former Senior Superintendents Glenn Dumlao and Cezar Mancao.