Valera arraignment deferred

MANILA, Philippines - Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Luisito Cortez deferred yesterday the arraignment of former Abra governor Vicente Valera and his co-accused, Leo Bello, in the Dec. 16, 2006 murder of his political rival, Rep. Luis Bersamin, pending the resolution of motions filed before the court.

Cortez issued the order after Valera’s lawyers sought to quash the charges and transfer him from the Quezon City Jail to the National Bureau of Investigation.

He set the next hearing on Oct. 9 and gave assistant prosecutor Ferdinand Baylon and defense lawyers 15 days to submit their comments on the motions.

Valera went to court wearing a yellow shirt marked “detainee” and a surgical mask.

Defense lawyer Rolando Quimbo said there was a threat on Valera’s life at the city jail.

“Powerful and unseen hands are manipulating the case to implicate my father,” Ana Valera said, insisting that her father had nothing to do with the killing of Bersamin, brother of Supreme Court Justice Lucas Bersamin, and his security escort.

Another suspect, Freddie Dupo, earlier identified Valera as the mastermind of the double murder. – Perseus Echeminada