La Union lawmaker, 8 others charged in poll exec’s murder

BAUANG, La Union — The task force investigating the murder of this town’s election supervisor last Jan. 12 filed yesterday murder charges against second district Rep. Tomas Dumpit Sr. and eight others, including his son and the vice mayor of Caba town.

Superintendent Pedro Ubaldo, Bauang police chief, represented the task force in filing the case against Dumpit, his son Butch, a former military officer; Caba Vice Mayor Clyde Crispino and six other suspects with the provincial prosecutor’s office here.

The six other respondents are Ares Alvarez Mato, the alleged gunman; Dominador Rentuma, driver of the gateaway motorcycle; Tess Dumpit-Michelena, owner of the house where Mato and Rentuma stayed before the killing; SPO1 Eduardo Banay, the congressman’s aide who allegedly provided the motorcycle used by the killers; Renato Batoon, owner of the killers’ hideout; and Armen Mato, driver of the Tamaraw FX that fetched Rentuma and Mato from Michelena’s residence.

Dumpit and his son were tagged as the alleged masterminds of the killing of Bauang election supervisor Felimon Asperin Jr. based on affidavits of Ares Mato and Rentuma.

Dumpit was allegedly present during the negotiations between Mato and his son Butch, a former gubernatorial candidate.

Crispino was alleged to have provided the suspects with a safehouse when they met with Banay for further instructions.

Asperin was shot in the head with a caliber .45 pistol at about 10:30 a.m. of Jan. 12 while he was about to board his L-300 van in front of the Commission on Elections office here.

After weeks of investigation, Rentuma surfaced and revealed to policemen that the gunman had fled to South Cotabato.

Rentuma told investigators that he was willing to testify against the gunman and the masterminds.

He said he came forward because he was not paid correctly for the killing.

Last March 16, Mato was arrested in Koronadal, South Cotabato where he tagged the Dumpits as the alleged masterminds.

The STAR tried to get in touch with the Dumpits for their side but failed. — With Cecille Suerte Felipe