Ex-Abra governor Valera found guilty of killing political rival

Former Abra Governor Vicente Valera. zambales.gov.ph

Political rivalry was the motive of former Abra Gov. Vicente Valera in having then Abra Rep. Luis Chito Bersamin killed, a judge of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) said in convicting Valera of murder.

“The court finds from the evidence presented by the prosecution that it was able to establish the guilt of accused Valera, [Leo] Bello and [Rufino] Panday beyond reasonable doubt,” Judge Roslyn Rabara-Tria of Quezon City RTC Branch 94 said in a decision handed down on Wednesday.

Also convicted of two counts of murder for the killing of Bersamin and his police escort about nine years ago were the two coaccused—Bello and Panday.

Bersamin, brother of Supreme Court Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin, was shot in the head at the compound of Mt. Carmel Church in Quezon City after attending the wedding of his niece on Dec. 16, 2006.

His police escort, SPO1 Adelfo Ortega, was also killed, shot in the head and body.

40 years, damages

Valera, his close-in security Bello and Panday were sentenced to up to 40 years in prison for both murder charges.

They were also convicted of frustrated murder for the wounding of Bersamin’s driver, Allan Sawadan, and ordered to pay P3.5 million in damages to Bersamin’s heirs and P309,080 to Ortega’s heirs.

Two accused, Dominador Barbosa and the gunman, Jerry Turqueza, remained at large. Two other accused, Sonny Taculao and Freddie Dupo, former vice mayor of La Paz, Abra, were discharged after they turned state witness.

Operatives of the Quezon City Police District-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit were able to trace Panday through the getaway motorcycle.

Panday admitted his participation in the assassination of Bersamin and implicated Dupo, Taculao and Barbosa.

Mastermind

Dupo and Taculao pointed to Valera as the mastermind. They also identified Bello as coconspirator and Turqueza as the gunman who shot the four victims. A 13-year-old parking boy was hit in the leg when Sawadan shot it out with the gunman.

In a sworn statement, Panday said Dupo told him on Dec. 13, 2006, about the plan to kill Bersamin on Valera’s orders.

Meeting in La Union

Based on court records, Dupo said he had met Valera at Nalinac Beach in La Union province as arranged by a person he only knew as “Uncle.”

He said Valera gave him P25,000 and told him to open a bank account for further payment.

Valera allegedly said that Bersamin should be killed to get him out of the way. Bersamin supposedly reneged on his promise not to run for a third term as congressman so Valera’s wife could take the post.

News reports also said Bersamin had planned to run for  governor against Valera.

Driver of getaway bike

Dupo called his cousin Taculao to serve as guide of the persons tasked with killing Bersamin. Taculao testified that he was the driver of the getaway motorcycle, and that he saw Turqueza shoot Bersamin as people were coming out of the church.

Valera and his wife, Maria Zita, also attended the wedding of Justice Bersamin’s daughter in which Congressman Bersamin stood as principal sponsor.

Close relatives

Valera testified that he could not have conspired to kill Bersamin as their mothers were close relatives and their ancestral houses in Abra were connected by a wooden bridge.

He said he knew Dupo as La Paz vice mayor but he had neither talked to him nor met with him regarding the alleged plan to kill Bersamin.

Valera said he might have been implicated because he did not follow the instructions of then first gentleman Mike Arroyo to cheat in the 2004 elections to ensure then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s victory.

He also speculated that other political aspirants might have wanted to create a wedge between their families and supporters because of their strong political alliance.

Dupo clearly stated that political rivalry was Valera’s motive for wanting Bersamin killed, the court said.

It added that Taculao’s testimony corroborated the statements of Dupo on its material points while Valera mainly interposed the defense of denial.

Valera’s assertion that the evidence against him was rigged was not proven, the court said.

No evidence was presented that Bersamin had involvement in illegal drugs and that he earned the ire of the New People’s Army in Abra over the killing of a ranking member of Bayan Muna, the court added.

The court noted that Bello provided financial support to Dupo and Taculao while they were hiding and the conspiracy between Bello and Valera was clearly established.

As for Panday, who said his sworn statement was made under torture, the decision said courts looked with disfavor upon retractions.

“In view of the foregoing, the court rules that accused Valera, Bello and Panday were part of a grand conspiracy to eliminate Bersamin,” the decision said.

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