LOS ANGELES, CA—Maricar Mancao and her four sons anxiously waited inside LAX, en route to the Philippines so she could stand by her man, Cezar, the star witness in a double murder trial that has electrified the nation.  Despite all the concerns about her husband’s safety, Mancao says she cannot wait to see her Cezar again.

“Everybody’s excited, and we’ve prepared a lot of gifts and cards for their daddy,” Mancao said, still doing some last-minute packing inside the airport.

Cezar Mancao was extradited to the Philippines last June 4 to testify in the double murder case of publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in 2000.
Cezar is currently in the National Bureau of Investigation’s custody.

There have been worries that the double murder case might not go through, especially after former Secretary Department of Justice Raul Gonzalez stepped down from his post recently.  Mrs. Mancao says she hopes the case will still be prosecuted.

“I’m worried, but at the same time I still have trust in justice there in the Philippines,” Mancao said.

Mrs. Mancao’s lawyer, Arnedo Valera, said that this is the first step for the family to regain a sense of normalcy.

“Once the truth comes out, and hopefully there won’t be any complications, I think Cezar will be a happy man once he fulfills his mission,” Valera said.

Mrs. Mancao plans to stay in the Philippines for about a month before heading back to the U.S.