P.5-M reward offered for arrest of killers

CAMP DIEGO SILANG, La Union — La Union officials, led by Gov. Victor Ortega, are offering a total of P500,000 as reward for information leading to the immediate arrest of the perpetrators of the Jan. 12 murder of Felimon Asperin Jr., election registrar of Bauang town.

Ortega, guest speaker during the installation of Senior Superintendent Franklin Jesus Bucayu as the new provincial police director last Wednesday, said he was offering P300,000 while Mayors Eufranio Eriguel and Martin de Guzman, of Agoo and Bauang towns, respectively, were contributing P100,000 each.

"I have allotted P100,000 for those who can provide information that will lead to the arrest of the gunmen and another P200,000 for the arrest of the mastermind," Ortega said.

"The perpetrators are making a challenge. It is just like they are saying ‘catch me if you can’ because they did the crime in broad daylight," he said.

Ortega urged Bucayu, who replaced Senior Superintendent Samuel Diciano, to speed up the investigation and arrest those responsible for the brutal killing.

Bucayu vowed to do his best, saying he will "go all-out against crimes with no ifs and buts."

Earlier, The STAR reported that the Task Force Asperin has already identified the gunmen and the mastermind but withheld their identities pending the filing of formal charges against them.

Asperin is scheduled to be buried at 12 noon tomorrow at the Agoo municipal cemetery after necrological rites at the Agoo Civic Center.

The killing of Asperin, who was gunned down in Bauang town, is reportedly the 15th in the second district of La Union since the May 2004 elections.