2 more suspects in Bersamin slay hunted down

MANILA, Philippines – Police are continuing the manhunt for two other accused in the 2006 killing of Abra Rep. Luis Bersamin and his security escort in Quezon City after the conviction last week of the mastermind, former Abra governor Vicente Isidro Valera, and two others.

Investigators said that Dominador Barbosa and gunman Jerry Turqueza remained at large after both went into hiding before they could be arraigned in court.

Judge Roslyn Rabara-Tria of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 94 convicted Valera and co-accused Rufino Panday and Sgt. Leo Bello of two counts of murder and one count of frustrated murder and ordered them transferred to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.

Aside from Bersamin, his escort Senior Police Officer 1 Adelfo Ortega was also killed when the gunmen shot them after they alighted from their vehicle to attend a wedding at the Mt. Carmel Church in New Manila, Quezon City.

Judge Tria said the prosecution team led by Assistant City Prosecutor Ferdinand Baylon was able to establish concrete evidence to prove beyond reasonable the guilt of Valera and his cohorts.

Valera has maintained his innocence.

Baylon said that the full cooperation of the family of Bersamin helped the prosecution in the case, which was tried for nine years.

“I thank the family of Bersamin for placing their trust and confidence in me in their quest for justice and I also thank the justice department for believing that I can handle the case on my own as prosecutor,” he added.

“We’re rewarded by a well-written verdict from the court,” he said.

Valera was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of masterminding the assassination of Bersamin, who is his cousin.

In her ruling, Tria said it was clear that Valera, Bello and Panday were part of a conspiracy to eliminate Bersamin.

The judge ordered the accused to jointly pay the heirs of Bersamin over P3.5 million in damages, and the heirs of Ortega over P329,000.

Abra Vice Gov. Chari Bersamin, daughter of the slain congressman, said justice had finally been served.

The younger Bersamin said she did not expect the conviction to be so soon.

Abra Gov. Eustaquio Bersamin, the victim’s brother, hailed the conviction of Valera and claimed it was a victory for the justice system.

Valera’s daughter Anne, in a statement, said her father was wrongly convicted by the court. 

“It is a sad day for us as we experienced first hand how the courts can erroneously convict an innocent man based on questionable and flimsy evidence,” she said.

She maintained that the trial of her father did not establish that the former governor pulled the trigger, and neither did witnesses admit knowledge of the participation of Valera. – With Artemio Dumlao