Abra cops clueless on mayor’s slay

BAGUIO CITY — Police have yet to gather any solid clues in the slaying of the young and outspoken mayor of La Paz, Abra last Friday night.

Senior Superintendent Alexander Pumecha, spokesman of the Cordillera police, said they have yet to find out what really motivated the killing of Mayor Ysrael Bernos.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Cordillera, according to Pumecha, will take the lead role in probing the murder in coordination with Task Force Abra.

The task force is a temporary police contingent deployed in Abra last year to contain lawlessness there amid the presence of armed goons maintained by warring politicians.

With the probers still clueless, accusing fingers have been pointed at Abra Gov. Vicente Valera.

"I condemn the killing and it is highly deplorable to again immediately link me to the killing," Valera said in a phone interview.

"The investigation is still ongoing and let the police find out the truth," he said.

Bernos, Abra’s youngest mayor who was to turn 31 on March 21, was an outspoken critic of Valera.

Bernos was shot with a caliber .45 pistol by a lone assailant while he was watching a basketball game at the La Paz plaza at about 7 p.m. last Friday.

He opened the tournament as part of the fiesta celebration of La Paz (which means "peace").

Although Bernos had two security aides from the PNP-Special Action Force, his assailant, believed to be with some armed cohorts in the crime scene, managed to escape.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Angelo Reyes and Chief Superintendent Leonardo Dionisio, Cordillera police director, flew to La Paz town yesterday morning and condoled with Bernos’ family.

Last year, Reyes and other officials brokered "peace talks" among warring politicians in Abra.