DOJ clears La Union mayor, 3 others of murder charges

AGOO, La Union — Citing lack of evidence, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has cleared the mayor of Sto. Tomas town and three others of murder charges in connection with the killing of a barangay chairman at the height of the 2004 electoral campaign.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez ordered Nestor Tolentino, acting provincial prosecutor, to drop the charges against Mayor Severino Carbonell, former vice mayor Carlito de la Cruz, lawyer Jose Quesada Jr. and his cousin, Teddy Quesada, for the murder of Barangay Balaoc chairman Arturo Colobong on April 18, 2004.

The DOJ, however, ordered the prosecutor’s office to file murder charges against six other suspects, namely Eduardo Ramirez, Alfonso Lacebal, Gaspar Llorera, Pedring Vergara, Reynante Arongat and Eduardo Valdez, all alleged aides of Carbonell.

Witnesses said they saw Colobong kneeling in front of armed men, apparently pleading for his life. But Ramirez allegedly shot him with a caliber .45 pistol, killing him on the spot.

Colobong’s attackers then fled on board three vans. The mayor and his co-accused were allegedly inside one of the vehicles.

Politics allegedly motivated the killing because Colobong was identified with former mayor Adolfo Estonactoc, who was seeking to regain the mayorship in the 2004 elections.

"While we are inclined to concur with the findings of probable cause for murder against Ramirez, Lacebal, Llorera, Vergara, Arongat and Valdez, the evidence adduced does not adequately establish the probability against Carbonell, De la Cruz, Jose Quesada Jr. and Teddy Quesada," the DOJ’s nine-page resolution stated.

The STAR learned that the victim’s family has filed a motion for reconsideration, alleging that Carbonell and the three other cleared suspects masterminded the killing. — Jun Elias