Ex-Abra gov, 2 others charged for Bersamin killing

MANILA, Philippines - A former governor of Abra province and two others were formally charged Friday for the killing of Abra Rep. Luis Bersamin Jr. and his bodyguard and the wounding of two others in December 2006. Charged with two counts of murder and two counts of frustrated murder before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court were former Governor Vicente Valera, Jerry Turqueza and St. Leo Bello. Bersamin was shot dead on December 16, 2006 after attending his daughter’s wedding at the Mt. Carmel Church in Quezon City. His bodyguard, SPO1 Adelfo Ortega, was also killed. Wounded in the shooting were Bersamin’s driver, Allan Sawadan, and a 15-year-old boy. Bersamin was also the brother of newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Lucas Bersamin, who has submitted an affidavit that pointed to Valera as the one with the strongest motive to kill his brother. He said his brother was the stumbling block in the political ambitions of Valera and his wife. Valera was charged after one of the suspects, Freddie Dupo, executed on October 20, 2007 a confession naming him as the mastermind in the killings. Dupo, together with the alleged gunman Rufino Panday, Sunny Tacolao, and Dominador Barbosa, have already been charged with the same cases before the QCRTC. City Prosecutor Gibson Araula, Jr., in his six-page resolution, said they have found probable cause to indict the respondents in court. “As between mere denial of the respondents and positive allegation of Dupo and Taculao that respondents were involved in the conspiracy to kill Cong. Bersamin, the positive allegations should be given more weight specially in this stage where the objective is only to determine whether there exists probable cause to indict the respondents," Araula said. No bail has been recommended against the three respondents. In his affidavit, Dupo narrated that the plot to kill Bersamin was hatched in 2005 in a beach resort in La Union wherein Valera was allegedly present. He said Valera gave him P25,000 as a “Christmas gift" and instructed him to open an account where the former governor would transfer money for his needs. Dupo added that on the way to Baguio, a certain “uncle" told him that Valera wanted Bersamin dead because of an agreement that the victim reportedly did not honor. He also alleged that after the killing of Bersamin, he and Taculao hid in the mountains of Baras, Rizal where he received financial assistance from Bello. But in his counter-affidavit, Valera denied participation in the killing and claimed that he and Bersamin were close personally and politically and both members of the same clan in Abra. He also denied meeting Dupo. The former governor also denied talking to Dupo after the killing of Bersamin or providing him with financial assistance. - GMANews.TV